In the Middle of Water and Cherries
by Chaotic-Charm
Summary: Though under harsh circumstances, Sakura and Suigestu are forced to get along during the mission of missions...Parenthood. (Image NOT mine)
1. Shame

**Shame**

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><p>"<em>Sakura" <em>a familiar voice range in the distance.

"Sakura!" it was getting louder!

"N-naruto?" her sore voice croaked.

"Sakura!" he kicked through the cell door letting in a light that chased her to the farthest reaches of the damp, dark room. It had been so long since she'd seen the light or Konoha or any one of her best friends.

"Sakura! I came to get you!" he yelled still catching his breath, "Sakura? What's wrong? What did they do?" he questioned not being able to see her in the dark corner of the room. He scanned the area seeing that it was a square empty room with no windows or even ventilation just chilly and damp.

"_Was she…was she really kept here all year?_" he thought to himself, "Sakura please."

"Naruto," she strained her dry voice , "I can't let you see me like this."

"Like what? Tell me what they did!" he said now on edge, "can you walk?"

"No…Naruto please don't make me do this." She begged, her voice cracking.

"I'm coming to get you!" he finally decided now stepping forward to seize her. It sent a tremor of horror through him as her begging became more and more desperate as he came closer in to view. Just a few more steps ahead of her and

"NARUTO PLEASE!" she cried frantically, "You don't know, _**please** _you don't know what they did, **_please_ **don't look at me! Just go away! Let me die!" she exasperated losing what little control of her breathing she had left.

"NO!" she screamed, struggled as much as her depleted strength would allow her as he picked her up in to his arms like a bride. He was headed towards the light of the door to take her back home when Neji ran in to the room.

"Naruto, we're running out of time, they've found us out! We need to go!" he urged until Naruto came in to the light with a broken Kunoichi. Her long pink hair matted and dirty, her skin pale and stained with grime, her body scared and bruised, her lips grey and chapped, her eyes full of fear, sorrow and shame. But what surprised him the most was her unmistakably swollen belly. Neji was speechless to say the least yet time was too valuable to waste in bewilderment. Nodding prominently they raced down the hallway as they heard Sound ninja barking orders and forming plains to retake the ruined woman in Naruto's arms. Luck seemed to be on the opposite's side as the two ninja came to a dead end but disappeared in a cloud a smoke to the Sound ninja's dismay. They had escaped with Orochimaru's precious experiment. There would be hell to pay.


	2. Welcome Home

**Welcome Home**

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><p>Racing away from Orochimaru's recently discovered hiding spot, both men bit down on their soldier pills knowing well that they couldn't stop in her condition. Thankfully she had passed out hours ago due to shock, so she was easier to handle now. Naruto had finally gotten her back but was he too late?<p>

Looking down at her tired face he smiled having lost his best friend for a whole year. She had been spying on the hidden village of Sound to find out where Orochimaru's next hide out was. Unfortunately she found it. Glancing down at her round protruding belly he cursed himself for taking so long. But he had to press on for her, both Ninja's sped up to reach the Leaf village a day sooner than later.

She had slept through the whole trip, through her return home. She couldn't hear Tsunade's heartbroken cries or Ino's gasping shrieks as they received their kunoichi. Sakura couldn't hear the gasps and the surprise of the others seeing her expanded stomach. She only dreamed of darkness where no one could see what he had done…what he watched them do to her.

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><p>It was the chirping of the birds outside her room window that brought her to light. She barely remembered anything at all. Looking around she saw white walls, a dresser in front of her hospital bed, and IV going as she recognized the beeping of her heart rate and the TV propped up on the wall.<p>

"Konoha?" she spoke more clearly and more painlessly than she had in what felt like years. She scanned her arms finding them as white as snow again, her nails cleaned and very well kept up, her lips moist and back to their youth. Lastly she ran her hands through her hair thankful to whoever sorted through the tangled mess without cutting it out. She was in good health again and quite happy about it until her hands came to rest on a warm bump.

"No," she whispered to herself, "No, no, no, no!" she cried remembering everything in one minute. Just then, Ino came in with a vase of bright sunflowers to go with the brightness of the room. Seeing Sakura awake and crying, she rushed over setting the vase down on the dresser before rushing in to the bed to comfort her friend.

"Sh, it's ok," she cooed, "we know."

"Who knows?" Sakura panicked her face red and streaming with tears.

"It doesn't matter," Ino said trying to calm her down, "whatever happens you have me here. Tsunade too. We're all going to help." She whispered. Hearing those wonderful words Sakura could only cry into her friend's chest as Ino rubbed her back in a soothing manner.

Hours had gone buy when Tsunade finally came into the room to examine her long lost student while Ino went to go inform the others. From the top of her head to the curves of her stomach, all the way down to her well-kept toe nails, courtesy of Shizune, Tsunade double checked for internal injuries, blood work and heart rate.

"Sensei," Sakura whispered, "I'm fine now." She smiled.

"Are you sure?" Tsunade asked trying to keep everything together under her steal exterior, "what they did to you is unforgivable…I will make sure they pay dearly for their actions…They will suffer." She whispered in an ominous air.

"Shishou…Thank you." Sakura smiled looking down at her newest bundle of shame.

"You're 7 months along," her teacher mentioned, "it's a boy." She hesitated not sure if things would be alright with the unwanted child, whom so ever it was.

"A boy?" Sakura didn't know if she should smile or frown but moved on to the next question anyway, "how long had I been gone?"

"A year plus a month if you count how long you've been sleeping."

"I was asleep for a month?" Sakura shouted. When Tsunade only nodded she sighed sitting back in her bed now ready to relax, to forget and be…happy.

"How will I?" she muttered, "with this?" she rest her hand on her belly gasping when she felt it move. Her teacher's hand followed suit, landing on top of hers.

"I don't blame you for anything you decide to do," she said soberly, "but know this…it's not the child's fault just like it's not your fault…we're all willing to help. Whatever you decide to do, adoption or whatever, we're here with you."

Snuffling quietly Sakura nodded smiling sadly at her shishou.

"Sakura chan!"

"Oh no." the Hokage muttered in annoyance.

"Naruto?" Sakura perked up.

"Sakura! I came back as quick as I could!" he yelled over joyed at seeing her healthy once again, "Obaa chan kept sending me on missions saying I was annoying you in your sleep."

Sakura laughed at the thought but of course Naruto would want to be here everything day of the hour to support and nurse his friend back to good health. However he was more in the way than any help, so the Hokage did sent him away.

"Obaa chan you're so mean to me." He sulked for all of two seconds before turning back to Sakura, "you're awake! Which is good 'cause I got some names." He pulled out a book title Baby Names for the Ninja World.

"I like Tobi but I think this guy in the akastu"

"Naruto!" Tsunade bashed her fist on his head.

"Obaa chan!" he rubbed the back of his head red faced.

"It's none of your business!" she shouted back at him. Sakura just sat there and watched in good spirits as time seemed to go back to the way it was supposed to be.

"The new addition is going to be different," she muttered, "but...it's not his fault."

"Are you sure?" the Hokage asked. Sakura answered with a nod, not completely over it but knowing well enough to start somewhere good. She would take on this challenge not in shame but in triumph, for the sake of her sanity.

Triumph.


	3. Happy Birthday

**Happy Birthday**

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><p>"You can do it Sakura chan!" yelled Naruto waving a #1 glove in Sakura's hospital room, "Heeve! Hoe! OW!"<p>

"You're not helping!" Tsunade said red faced before kicking him out in to the waiting room with everyone else.

"Way to go goofball." Ino scoffed before stretching in her seat and looking at her weary friends who all rushed there at two in the morning only to still be there at 430.

"Naruto's just trying to help," said a yawning Hinata, "How m-mush longer."

"Mush hmmm, it sounds like sleep." TenTen groaned leaning on Ino for cushion.

It was only a week and three days since Sakura's return. Everything was going smoothly until she woke to some of the worst cramps of her life. She couldn't believe how fast and slow things were going, she just wanted to sleep but the baby had other plans.

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><p>"I can see a head!" Shizune said preparing a blanket for birth, "one last push."<p>

If Konoha wasn't already awake they were now as Sakura screamed to high heavens. As painful as it was she was relieved to hear her baby boy's cry. Tsunade took him from Shizune and turned to Sakura, "he seems fine but he's still a little too early for me to give him the ok just yet. Let us do some blood work and some thorough checkups."

"C-can I see him?" Sakura asked still panting in a cold sweat. Terrified and excited and ashamed but relieved, she was a whirlwind of emotion. Her teacher smiled down at her with a nod and held him at angle for her to see. He had a full head of poofy snow white hair and narrow emerald-green eyes. His skin wasn't as light as hers it was more tan than she'd thought he'd be. He was smaller than she'd seen other newborns, yet it made him all the more perfect. He was an angel, her child. She was hoping he would look like her through and through but now she'd have to deal with the curiosities that came with not knowing the father.

"He's beautiful." She whispered as joyful tears rolled down her cheeks. The Hokage smiled at her with another nod and took the baby away. Right before she left the room Sakura yelled to her new born, "Happy Birthday Seikatsu!"

"Seikatsu?" Shizune questioned before smiling, "I like it."

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><p>It was only two hours later when Seikatsu was in his mother's care, surrounded by nurses and ninja alike.<p>

"He's so adorable!"

"The most adorable in all Konoha!"

"I wonder who his father is."

Sakura frowned at the overheard question as the nurses giggled and awed at the little one as they checked little things here and there for Sakura. Ino and Naruto had been at it with middle names for quite some time while Hinata and Tenten just sat and adored the site before them.

"Seikatsu. That's your name." Tenten sung, "It fits him! Ah he is life."

"Seikatsu Haruno," Hinata spoke in her soft voice, "how are you feeling Sakura."

The new mother looked down at her baby boy just looking up at her like she was his angel and smiled, "I've never felt so alive."

"Tobi is such a stupid name!" Ino finally shouted.

"And Ino isn't?" Naruto yelled back.

"Quiet all of you!" the Hokage yelled, "mother and child need to rest and get to know each other. We all still have things to do later this morning." Everyone nodded before leaving, greeting the baby one last time as he and his mother were left to rest. While it was ideal to sleep after hours of literal labor, Sakura wanted another good look at her child.

"White hair," she carressed his poofy, soft locks, "narrow eyes… who cares your still my Seikastu," Sakura cooed to the child loving every unknown part of him. "I want to do my best for you…no matter who your father is…it's not your fault." She told the baby letting sad tears roll down her cheek and on Seikastu's small face. He blinked them away as he grasped his mothers pinky, still looking up at her as if she was the light of the world, in awe.

"Seikatsu Haruno," she smiled at him, "first boy in the family."


	4. Unfortunate Events

Hey guys! I seemed to have made quite a few mistakes with names in the previous chapters: P sorry about those…anyway! This one's longer and is the start of some SakuSui action! Just a start though…you may hate me at the end…soooo tell me what you think :3

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><p><strong>An Unfortunate Event<strong>

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><p>In Sakura's two and a half years of motherhood, she had never seen anything like this. She admitted Seikatsu was smarter than your average baby weather he knew it or not. She knew he had special abilities that as an infant, he didn't really recognize despite his intelligence. She knew he was more trouble than a normal baby but to be called back from an important mission just for his pacifier was beyond foolish until Konoha came in to view.<p>

"Oh God," Sakura muttered before speeding up to the humungous bubble of water that was encasing Konoha, "Seikatsu must be upset again." She stopped at the water barrier wondering if it was safe to just walk in until, like a tentacle, the water reached out and pulled her in.

"Haruno san" Neji yelled running up to her, "the Hokage request you find Seikatsu's blue pacifier and report to her office immediately."

"Nice to see everyone breathing," she smiled tiredly and looked up at the round water barrier in awe, "my baby boy?"

"Yes, he's shown remarkable abilities ever since you embarked on your mission." Neji included also awed by the thick wall. Nodding at each other Neji ran one way while Sakura raced home to her apartment for the child's mouth piece. She tore his room and hers apart looking for it and face palmed her forehead when she found it sitting on the kitchen counter.

Quickly she ran towards the Hokage's office poofing in front of a crying Seikatsu with his pacifier. "Hey there baby calm down now, mommy's got your favorite pacifier." She smiled picking him up and cradling him in her arms while, Tsunade, Shizune, Kakashi, Sai, Neji and Ino all stared intensely as if it was there last hope. Seikatsu cried a little in to the pacifier before settling down and holding on to his mother's warm hand. Along with his calmness the water bubble receded back in to faucets and rivers, sewage and ponds until konoha was back to normal. Everyone let out a tired but relieved sigh.

"Sorry everyone," she whispered still rocking Seikatsu to sleep, "he has a little separation anxiety."

"A little?" Ino said incredulously.

"That is an under-statement," Sai chimed in, "the child has every hidden village aimed at Konoha, our own villagers are terrified with the sudden water attack and"

"Attack?" Sakura question.

"Sai, stop," Tsunade cut in with a sigh closing her eyes to think, "Sakura, Seikastu is...a very _special_ infant."

"Ya think?" Ino mumbled.

"As Sai said, there is an uproar outside these walls and in other villages, we'll have to explain to them what happened."

"So what does this mean," Sakura asked holding her child ever closer; "they won't do anything to him will they? They can't, he's just a toddler he didn't know what he was doing!"

"Sakura," Kakashi called, "why don't you go take care of kiddo there and we'll talk on calmer terms." He smiled through his mask, "Neji make sure no one bothers her at all, no one knows who the cause is yet so you shouldn't have too much trouble."

"Hai," Neji said quietly before fallowing Sakura out of the door.

Tsunade let out a long exasperated breath, "what can we do? If we tell them it was the child they'll want to take him and train him like a dog or to keep the peace they'll kill him."

"Sakura won't settle for either," Ino spoke up leaning on the desk and folding her arms, "and they won't understand what happened to her. We'll have to lie."

"Easier said than done," kakashi muttered.

"Then what do we do!" Ino yelled, "All they want is to be in control of everything and I don't know about you guys but infants as helpless as they are, are pretty uncontrollable! They're gonna cry when they want, poop when they want, sleep how they want!"

"I think I may have a solution," Sai stepped up, "perhaps we could find one with his same attributes to clue us in, if you will, on his immense chakra issues. Just as Naruto has Jiraiya sensei to guide him with the nine tailed fox, so should this one have a similar teacher as well."

"Great plan. One problem." Ino irritated, slammed her hands on the desk, "there is no one like him! Idiot! We just need a cover." She went back to crossing her arms.

"We don't know that for sure" Tsunade opened her eyes.

"Yes," Shizune included, "He may get his abilities from his unknown father."

"If we prove to the council that he is being trained under experienced, able, hands then just like Naruto, they'll shut up about it. We just need to prove that he is under control." Tsunade crossed her arms and sat back in her chair looking at the spot where Seikatsu was sitting, "Ino, go find Sakura."

"Hai!"

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><p>Meanwhile, Sakura had taken her son to the old training grounds where her team use to spar. She spread out a blanket and his various toys before setting him down herself and sitting to watch him play.<p>

"What do you think they'll decide…the council or Tsunade." She asked the stoic ninja.

"Tsunade sama seemed to be the mothering type before Seikatsu got upset…I don't think she would want to harm him. But the council and the other villages fear the power he has. It will be difficult to convince that bunch of the positive influence he could have."

"Mama!" the baby called waving his pacifier in his hand before putting it back in his mouth and crawling across the blanket to climb in to her lap, "hungee."

"You're hungry baby?" Sakura lifted him into the air as far as her arms would go before laying down on her back as she laid him on her chest, "you already ate little Katsu how about a nap?"

"No!" he whined scrunching his face up and lifting himself up off of Sakura's chest, "Hungee mama!" he shouted again before his head fell on her chest. As soon as Sakura felt his hot head on her skin she quickly sat up and checked for any sign that would tell her what was wrong.

"He has a fever! Its spiking!" she panicked now standing to take him to the hospital.

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><p>It was more a convenience that Sakura came to the hospital rather than a worry when Tsunade was called from her office to the ER to help relieve the child. This was a great opportunity to speak with the young mother about her son.<p>

"He was dehydrated?" Sakura questioned in the waiting room.

"It seems using his chakra in such an extreme way takes a lot out of him," she pat her students back, "Sakura, something needs to be done…we need to know more about him. Is there anything else out of the ordinary that he does?"

"Well…he crawls on the ceiling." Sakura blushed, "he molds shapes of animals in the bath tub out of water, he actually drinks more water than I do in a day he likes it better than juice or milk. But I thought those were all just characteristics of his…"

"We need to find his father. He may know more. Sakura I know this may be hard for you…but think back, who all…" she stopped unable to finish while Sakura thought about it.

"I don't know…it was dark and I could only see Sasuke looking down on me." Tears started to seep out of her eyes, "I just remember his voice taunting me for information on Konoha." She cried covering her hands with her face, "I'm so sorry Tsunade."

"It's alright…we'll figure it out." She smiled.

"Lady Tsunade, the child is awake, he can go home but he needs to stay hydrated." Shizune called before returning to other patients. Both student and teacher went in to the room and approached the hospital crib that held the little tot.

"Hey little Kastu!" Sakura sang cheering him up, "you worried me, silly."

He giggled as he happily crawled to his mother wrapping his arms around her hand when she went to pick him up and cradle him to sleep, "mama." He yawned before falling back to sleep in his mother's arms.

"Tsunade." Kakashi whispered outside of the room, "Naruto's returned from his mission, he found someone along the way, a member of team Taka is in need of medical attention."

"Team Taka?" the Kunoichi whispered remembering the name of her abusers, one of course, the father of her child, "Seikatsu."

"_What is this? Bother Tsunade day?_" the Hokage thought with a inward sigh and stepped out of the room with Kakashi, "Tell Shizune to handle the situation and have him prosecuted as soon as he comes to."

"And Naruto?"

"How is he?"

"He seems down about something but he's alive."

"I see...get his report when he's ready."

"Hai!" and with that, the copy ninja was gone.

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><p>Later that night, the member from team taka awoke in a cell guarded by ANBU. Groaning as he sat up he rubbed the lump in the back of his head, "that blond idiot dragged me in to hell, didn't he." He murmured to himself, "uhg what happened?"<p>

"You were found passed out in Konoha's forest. You were subdued when you woke up due to procedure but you were also healed as soon as you arrived." One informed behind his cat mask, "you are to be questioned by the Hokage herself."

"Aw, I feel special." He spoke sarcastically and scanned the cell one more time when it finally hit him, "Uh… Where's my sword?"

"That's classified information."

"I guess my water bottle is classified to huh," he dully stared at the back of their head, "don't worry I'll find it when I get out of here. It's a matter of time." He rests his hands in the back of his head lying on the cool floor.

It was only minutes later that he heard the echoes of a door closing and metal clanging followed by footsteps that got closer and closer until the Hokage of the Leaf Village was standing in front of the cell. She examined his face closely relating point a and b in her head before showing him a picture, "do you know this girl?"

"hm?" he stood and looked at the photo taking it in his hand and smirking "do I," he whistled, "this is the girl who was spying on the snake bastard…she was fun."

Just as the words came out of his mouth Tsunade grabbed him by the neck and pulled him closer, "Fun? You call raping my student fun!" she yelled anger coursing through her.

"It's not rape if it's a surprise." He smirked purposely trying to piss her off, "so how is miss pinky? Is she alive? Does she remember?"

Tsunade punched him in the face sending him to the back wall of the cell, "How could she forget!" the Hokage cried, "she had you-your"

"My sword?" he chuckled picking himself off of the floor, "listen, it was nothing personal, just orders from the snake bastard."

"You should die for what you've done to her!"

"I should," he smiled something wicked, "or maybe you should for sending her in to danger alone in the first place; you Kage's and your emotions."

Tightening her fist till they bled Tsunade unlocked the cell and stepped in pulling out a syringe from her sleeve, "we need a blood sample."

"How do I know it's not poison?"

"You just won't."

"Screw this." He did a series of hand signals before Tsunade tayzerd him rendering him useless once more.

"You should have cooperated," she aimed for a vain then took his blood. "If he moves tazer him again until he stops breathing."

"You're evil lady!" he choked out.

"Not yet," She glared at him and left for the hospital again handing the sample to one of the nurses, "this needs to be tested immediately."

"Hai!"

"_I'm almost sure_," Tsunade thought to herself, "they look so much alike…but it doesn't hurt to make sure…Sakura would you think Seikatsu is better off?" She didn't know but something had to be done and this was the first step to finding out what they could do.


	5. The Stump of Anger the Weight of Reality

Hello all! I've noticed that you're reading! Thanks sooo much and to the one person who commented on my work! I know it's far from perfect but bear with me friends; it gets better now that I have some motivation. Thanks again for reading and commenting and sorry about the name confusion its Seikatsu or Katsu for short. It means life! But any who here's the next chappy; the next, long, less crappy chapter, yeah :3

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><p><strong>The Stump of Anger the Weight of Reality<strong>

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><p>"W-water," he pulled his body along the cold floor with his arms gripping the base of the bars of his cell, "water."<p>

"The Hokage has restricted any food or water until you have asked nicely," said the ANBU character standing guard at his cell.

"I. don't. beg." He barely hissed out. He had been locked away for a week now without any food or water. He was hungry, his skin seemed to be half ashy, half peeling, sleep wouldn't come easy on the cold cement but most of all his hydration was dangerously low, "curse that bastard…Who the hell makes someone more water than freakin human! What kind of genius forgets the simple possibilities of dehydration or electrocution for that matter! Stupid, snake bastard knocking me out in the middle of nowhere!" he ranted to no one in particular.

"Finally cracking are we?" Tsunade smirked down on him, a bucket of cold water in her hand, "I might let you out of here if you answer all of my questions thoroughly and strait."

"Screw you old woman." He muttered before the painfully intense tingly sensation seized his nerves, the electricity taking more and more water out of him.

"Hokage sama you're going to kill him!" the ANBU spoke up but didn't turn around.

"A near death experience won't hurt him too badly,"

"Bitch!" Suigetsu spat as his body shook from shock, "w-what do you want to know?" his teeth chattered trying to keep it together but no matter how hard he tried the room seemed to be getting darker.

"Why didn't you kill Sakura Haruno?"

"I don't know, ask the snake bastard!" he was choking like a fish out of water now, "I was just-ju-just." It was completely dark now, his breath still husky and lungs slowly giving in to exhaustion.

"Dammit, wake up!" Tsunade splashed the bucket of water over him, "all that talk and no damn bite?"

"sh-shut up," he rolled over to lay on his back, savoring the cold bit of water thrown on him, "I d-don't know any of Orochimaru's plans…she was probably gonna be another experiment just like everyone else who gets caught."

"Suigetsu." She spoke gently for the first time in a week, "I'm going to ask you one more question…if you answer wrong I'll let you die your slow death here but if you give a good answer you just might live."

"Is there H2O involved?"

"Yes."

"Then ask your damn question!"

"Victim or enemy?" the question echoed throughout the holding chamber slicing through the silence and Suigetsu's deathly thoughts.

"…I…I didn't know any better." He whispered as the darkness engulfed him once again. Tsunade stood in front of his cell for a moment thinking her plan over before finally opening the cell, "go before me to the hospital…tell them to ready a room for a very important guest." And with that the ANBU cat disappeared.

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><p>Elsewhere, in Sakura's room, in the middle of her queen sized bed was Seikatsu. As young as he was, he could feel when something wasn't right. Sadness tore through him like his own blood through his veins. It hit him so sharply as he slept that he cried erratically for a time before Sakura rushed in wrapping a towel around her wet body and picked him up. She laid him on her chest patting his back and whispering comforting words. When he didn't stop for what seemed like an hour she began checking his body inside and out with her healing medical skills and still he wouldn't stop. Now in a panic, she through on what was around; a tank top and night shorts, to rush him to the hospital.<p>

"Sakura san this is the third time this week," Shizune inquired in the waiting room.

"It's different this time!" she shouted, "listen to him he's not throwing a fit! He's hurt!" she shouted massaging his head lain on her chest soothing herself more than Seikatsu. Shizune looked over the child one last time and sighed in defeat, "I'll go get Tsunade sama."

In that time, Seikatsu seemed to get louder with more desperate cries. Nurses rushed him in to a room to see what was wrong with him, checking his throat, ears and tung but they couldn't find anything wrong. In the midst of it all, another patient was rolled into the room, nurses promptly cleaned the patient also hooking him up to many IV's filled with nourishment. The Hokage walked in followed by Shizune not long after.

"Sakura, you've aged."

"There really is something wrong with him this time! He's in pain!" she almost screamed.

"Calm down, I'm sure he's just fighting sleep." Her shishou tried to comfort her.

"No, it started in his sleep! He's been like this for two hours now! Tsunade sama something's wrong!" now she was screaming.

"Will someone shut the kid up!" the patient next to Seikatsu yelled.

"That voice." Sakura whispered fearfully as her eyes widened and her steps took her back, "that voice." At the same time Seikatsu seemed to have realized the patient a bed over and looked at him as if he was unsure. He raised his arms out to Tsunade asking to be picked up in his own special way while calming down to pout.

"I'll get him," Shizune picked him up, "See all better! There's nothing wrong." She exclaimed not noticing the stiffness in Sakura's limbs or her clenched fists.

"No," the baby cried reaching for Tsunade as Shizune attempted to walk out of the room, "NO!"

"Sakura, I had to bring him…for Seikatsu." Tsunade spoke slowly stepping towards Sakura, "he may be able to help him."

"Baba!" the child shouted in tears still reaching for Tsunade. Taking a quiet breath she took Seikatsu in to her arms looking at him and then at the patient on the bed, "blood can't lie." She said to herself.

"Baba!" he cried again now reaching for the patient's bed Tsunade's eyes widened in shock when she figured what Seikatsu may be saying. So slowly she put him on the patient's bed and watched in awe as the little one crawled to the patients' chest and rests there, content and quiet while the patient himself didn't seem to notice a thing.

"Katsu?" Sakura questioned shaking her head, "Seikatsu." She cried when he didn't turn and smile at her like he always did when she called him. "No."

"Sakura you need to understand." The Hokage tried to explain, "If we want to save Seikatsu"

"Save him?" the young mother asked incredulously, "he's just a child. Why would anyone want to hurt him? It was a mistake! He didn't want to rule the world or destroy it! He wanted me!"

_**!SLAP!**_

"Sakura listen to yourself!" her teacher yelled, "is this who Seikatsu depends on? A frantic coward? I know things have happened to you but you've got to do better! Your life is not your own anymore, it's his too! He needs you, he needs you to be strong for him and understand him because no one else can!"

"Tsunade sama you don't understand." She cried, "That man, took everything from me! My pride…my dignity, my sanity! Now my little Katsu," she sobbed down to her knees, "this can't be right."

Tsunade watched with a broken heart as this person cried on the floor. It wasn't the same…she would never be the same again, weather it was for Seikatsu or not. But there were higher places to go now and she needed desperately for her student to get that…Seikatsu needed her to get that. No one could protect him like his mother.

In response to the thought, she gathered all her invisible tears and stuffed them deep down some place never to be known. She hardened her heart and spoke with a strong voice, "Sakura Haruno you have three days to pick yourself up from wherever you fell. There are much larger issues at hand. In these three days you are restricted from seeing Seikatsu as your appearance may harm his mentality. I will send someone every day until the deadline in which you are to show your ability to handle the situation."

"Shishou," whimpered a weary mother, "he needs me." She pleaded.

"Leave Haruno…or you will be escorted."

Sakura was left to stare at her teachers back. Something she thought she'd never have to do but there it was. And there her baby was holding on to the man that raped her and enjoyed it. _Why was this happening? This can't be right_, she thought and after that a rush of utter sadness coursed through her. Almost crawling away from the scene she ran out of the hospital, down the busy streets of Konoha all the way to her apartment building. Her body felt like stone, each limb heavy to carry up the stairs, her hands a shaking mess as she struggled to unlock the door. Her mentality shattered to pieces as it closed off the rest of the world. She fell to her knees. All she could do was yell and cry; cry to the ceiling, to the stars, to God… shame thrust into her and power pulled out, a new life forced onto her and another taken away; a crime had been committed against her, and there was nothing she could do about it. Was this right? This wasn't right. How? How could she live through this, how could God see her through? Someone had hurt her deeply and there was nothing she could do about it so she cried to the ceiling, the stars and she screamed to the God that watched over her. It was all she could do right now; scream, pray and cry.

* * *

><p>Day one<p>

Sakura had woken up to dim light and chirping birds. However she didn't bother climbing out of the mound of blankets covering her on her couch. She just lay there too tired to think or try anything.

"Haruno san," a familiar monotone voice interrupted her mourning.

"Hm?"

"I've been instructed to,"

"Go away." she muttered from inside her cocoon.

"I don't want to take any drastic measures Haruno san."

"Go away!"

"So be it." He poured a bucket of ice cold water over her couch as she screamed profanities, emerging angrily from the soaked covers.

"What the hell!" she tried to yell, red faced and irritated.

"I was instructed by the Hokage to do such if you refused to get up."

"For what," she settled for hissing but even that managed to sting her throat a little.

"We will discuss this when you are decent." He cleared his throat as if to motion to her short shorts and tank top. "I will wait for you outside. You have ten minutes."

"Screw your minutes." She muttered as she walked to the back to get dressed. Just to spite him, about ten minutes and eleven seconds later she came down stairs in front of her building and stood with her arms crossed then an irritated tired look in her eyes.

"Thank you Haruno san."

"Are you gonna tell me where we're going?" she squawked

"For tea seeing as you're communication skills are a low." He almost smiled, not quite but almost. Snorting at the idea she walked beside him to a café on the edges of Konoha as Neji explained the situation.

"My mission today is to make sure your combat skills are up to par simultaneously working with your mental state as you fight: your combat mentality."

"Screw your mentality." She muttered before sipping her lemon herbal tea glaring at anyone who dared look her in the eyes.

Later,

As much as she hated it, seeing the training ground sent a thrill through her; the green grass, the fresh trees, the cool air, all of them positives beating on the negativity rolling off of the kunoichi. It took her back to better days as opposed to the bitter moment she was not drowning in. Suddenly, Neji stood not too far off from her taking an offensive stance and attacking mercilessly, "How did they catch you if you're so quick?" the question was so bizarre and out of nowhere that the shock allowed her to be punched in the the face. Only Neji Hyuuga could hit a girl.

"What are you talking about?" she stopped the fight with a block.

"When you were caught by Orochimaru, how were you caught? Did you run? Hide?" he shouted as he through another punch continuing the fight.

"I- I don't know," she yelled dodging a kick, "they surrounded me. They knew I was there for a time!"

"How could you not know?" he pushed both hands to her chest which sent her tumbling backwards and rolling to a stop, "what followed afterward?" he seemed to be going for the kill as she moved from his kunai.

"They put me in a cell!" she shouted almost out of breath, "that bastard laughed at me!" she finally through a punch back, "He watched me fight his men until I couldn't fight anymore! He and Sasuke watched them beat me half to death!" she gave a good kick to the chin.

"What else?" his voice was firm.

"You know already!" she was losing to her emotions.

"Do I?" he sucker punched her this time and glared at her, "you can't fight the enemy when you're too busy fighting yourself. Face your reality, accept it and overcome it!"

"Overcome it?" the line hit her as hard as his punch to the stomach. Panting on her hands and knees, vomit pooling in between her hands.

"_Sasuke, question Sakura about her friend the Kyuubi."_

"No." she saw herself bound and on the floor.

"_Hai_" _he gave a subtle bow before dragging her down the dark halls of the hide out._

"Sasuke." She reminisced lost in her memories.

"_I have nothing to say to you!" she spat pressed faced down on a table her hands stretched and tied over the legs of it, "Kill me! There's nothing else you can take away from me!" _

"How could you?" glaring at the ground her chakra was like the wind swerving around her.

"_A good little kunoichi like you? I'm sure there's at least one last thing you have to be taken." Orochimaru hissed giving a creepy wide smile._

"That bastard." She hissed slowly picking herself back up one foot at a time.

"_Suigetsu…get answers…Sasuke, report to me later."_

"Traitorous, imbecile!" she spat her own blood on the ground, "leaving me to die in the dirt!"

"_Aw, feeling weak," he; __**that voice**__, whispered. His lips smirked against her neck, "don't cry…it'll all be over soon."_

"Screw you!" she roared blocking Neji's kick and pushing it back with such harshness he landed rolling across the field.

"Glad to have you back Haruno san." he smirked as he stood and took a defensive position. Sakura shook what was left of her self-pity out of her hands and feet as she prepared to fight her temporary rival.

"It's not polite; hitting girls." Sakura growled and punched the ground below her feet. Jumping in to the air to see her handy work; a crater, she couldn't spot the pearled eyed protégé "where's"

"With all due respect Haruno san," he appeared behind her dealing a blow to the back of the head that sent her, like a bullet, to the ground, "screw your courtesy." A huge cloud of dust blocked the site of the impact so when he landed back on the ground he didn't notice Sakura underneath his feet. She struck his foot like a cobra to its prey and pulled him underground until all you could see was his head.

When he was rendered harmless Sakura burst from underground yelling, "In your face Hyuuga!"

"hm," he glared and looked away.

"What? Don't get mad at me! You hit me in the back of my freaking head! The BACK of my HEAD!" she repeated unbelievably

"You left yourself open." He huffed simply and looked away.

"Screw you Neji Hyuuga!" she ranted.

"Screw you _royally_ Haruno san," he huffed.

Later in the evening Neji had taken her to the same tea spot they had started off in. This time they had both vegetable wraps with salads and tea. They had fought all day until Sakura could fight with the thought of her happening, until her mentality didn't distracted from the now which was Neji's mission and goal; to get her to face the reality and deal with now. His mission was complete but not without a little insight to her situation.

"Sakura san."

"Hn?" she raised an eye brow to the casual title and returned the favor, "yes Neji san."

"Seikatsu is going to be a remarkable student…you as his mother should sense this as well, regardless of the obvious demonstration."

"Yes, I know."

"good." He shut his eyes to think, "Sakura san," he grabbed her eyes with his, "Everyone wants security, however the pursuit of security becomes the hunt for control. As corrupt as it may sound, just like that, in Seikatsu's circumstance his security will be the key to his control."

"How will I find his security, everyone's trying to put a leash one him," she dazed in to her orange tea, "I don't have the power the council wields."

"If he finds security in you then he has all the power he needs to live. As long as there's someone that stands firm to protect him, he will also stand strong to protect. Children often follow their parents will…if you weaken and give up now, somewhere down the road, he is going to weaken and die for it."

Her heart stopped, her breath caught in her throat as the vision of Seikatsu's lifeless body floating in a calm, dark stream. It sent a chill to her very soul. What would she do then? Cry again? No, she had to be strong enough for the both of them. She had to for his sake.

"Or perhaps like Naruto he will outlive his fate with determination leaving you the shame of his life. Either way Haruno san," he sipped his tea, "it's not just your combat mentality we're worried about…it's the influence you'll have on him later in life, that will no doubt, be the foundation of his character. Weather he has a strong or weak foundation lies in his vision of you."

"Seikatsu," she whispered.

"My mission is complete Haruno san." He went back to formalities, "after you are finished I must escort you home."

She gave him a nod in silent frustration and easing sadness. As he had said, Neji, took her to her home giving a small bow before disappearing in to a puff cloud. Still silent she trudged up the stairs her limbs not as heavy as the burdens of her heart. Walking in to her apartment and leaving the world behind yet again. Her mind and her heart waged a great war; emotions flooded her chest with burning anger and passion while her thoughts were shielded with the cold harsh waves of reality.

Which was right?

Her heart or her mind?

* * *

><p>So this one didn't go as I planned but it felt right. I promise chapter 6 will be the start of SuiSaku and their little Katsu moments. I hope you liked the implied intensity of the moment! Hope you enjoyed it as well. Let me know what you think!<p>

Chaos


	6. MindSet

So I have a Question…what color are Suigetsu's eyes? I've seen them violet and green and gold and amber what is the damn color! I'm going with green for now until I get a correction, oh yes folks I'm bold I seek correction ;D but anyway here's the long chapter with SakSui interaction and Seikatsu being cute! So here we go!

Ps thanks for the favorites now if I could get some comments that would help me really mold this story to perfection as I am no professional.

* * *

><p><strong>Mindset<strong>

* * *

><p>"Why won't you stop crying!" Shizune cried along with Seikatsu in one of the guest rooms of Konoha; both of them in the same futon facing each other in harmonious misery. She had tried everything, changed his diaper, offered bottles and binkies alike; if it didn't make him cry louder it sure did give her a bigger headache.<p>

"Will you shut up!" an angry Hokage seethed bursting from the hidden door in the wall, the bags under her eyes testimony to her exhaustion, "I've not slept in hours! I've got paper work up to my neck and I've gotta babysit _this_ **idiot**!"

"Same to you witch!" a bound Suigetsu yelled from the other room tied to a chair in front of Tsunade's desk.

"You're really pushing it," the Hokage growled before walking out of sight in to the other room leaving Shizune and Seikatsu to bawl. A few minutes later Tsunade had thrown Suigetsu in the chair itself into the room with them, Seikatsu pausing at the act while Shizune looked at the Hokage confused.

"There! Now everyone shut up! It is 230 in the morning! The damned Akatsuki isn't even up at this hour! Go. To. Sleep!" and with that she slammed the door.

"I'm gonna get that snake bastard when I get out of here." Suigetsu mumbled in to the floor, his position in a forced downward dog still tied to the chair. Seikatsu took his chance to interact with the man that looked like him and crawled over to the upside down chair and pinched his cheek curiously. Suigetsu stayed silent a little apprehensive about the child's pinch to his cheek.

"Seikatsu," Shizune smiled crawling over with him settling on her knees and feet, "is this what you wanted?"

"Sei-ka-tsu" Suigetsu tried it out on his tongue his whole face resting on one cheek.

"Here, let me help you a little," Shizune offered sitting the chair up in its proper position relieving the stunned man of his discomfort. Both boy and man just looked at each other; one as if he was staring at a ghost and the other with a goofy grin complete with a runny nose and sparkling green eyes.

"How," he breathed.

"Well when a man and a woman," Shizune started.

"No, no," he stopped her, "I mean…is he really?" his eyes stayed glued to the little one who was still staring up at him as if he where his angel.

"with all due respect, you would've been executed if it weren't' for this one," Shizune picked up the now giggling Seikatsu, "we've done all the blood work if the resemblance isn't enough for you."

Suigetsu stayed silent putting his head down in thought before looking at the smiling toddler again, "Dammit."

* * *

><p>Day Two<p>

"It's open," a tired Sakura answered. Ino walked in surprised to see the place cleaned up, bright with the windows opened, and her mission was going well so far. But when she saw her best friend sitting at her round table staring into her coffee sadly, a tinge of doubt came to the surface. She didn't say anything but she just took a seat down across from her.

"Sakura."

"I woke up at 2 am this morning," the kunoichi started reminiscently not looking up from her cup of coffee, "I fixed a bottle of water for Katsu…but when I went into his room he was gone." She finally looked up and gave a sad laugh, "I panicked at first and remembered what happened."

"You should've gone back to sleep," Ino said softly as she rest her hand on Sakura's wrapped around her cup.

"I couldn't," she confessed taking her coffee away from Ino's grasp, "I couldn't stop thinking about what he was doing, where he was, if he was crying or sleeping or if anyone made sure he wasn't on his stomach or breathing, anything, everything. Ino," she paused to look down reveling tears when her emerald eyes met blue, "I didn't know I _needed_ him …and so much."

Ino gave a sigh, "forehead chan, he's in good hands."

"He was taken from me." The mother said harshly.

"And no wonder he was!" Ino burst out and stood, "what kind of mother mopes' around the house when her kids' so happy to be around her, huh? What stops you from loving him more than your hate or more than you're hurting!"

"You don't know what it was like!" Sakura stood knocking the chair over meting Ino's eyes with the same ferocity.

"Bullshit! You signed up for this crap, you knew what would happen if you were caught! So don't act all surprised!"

"Ino its not,"

"Yes Sakura, it is that simple when you've had two years of counseling and with a child! You love him don't you?"

"Yes, Of course I love my son!"

"Then why put him through this? There's a way to save him the judgment of the council and here you are sulking over _the past_!"

"It's not that simple to get through!"

"Difficult isn't impossible!" Ino roared now at wits end, "You can get through this if you really want to!"

"I do!"

"Then work through it Sakura chan!" the blondes' voice weakened, "make the decision to get through this if not for yourself then for your son."

"I do, I do Ino," Sakura whimpered, "but how? How can I get through this? How can I face that man let alone share Seikatsu with him, how can I forgive him!"

"How?" Ino glanced down sadly, "one day at a time, that's how: get out of bed every day no matter how crappy you feel, take a shower and get dressed; because you deserve and owe that love to yourself just for waking up and facing the day…and before you're done, before you start your day look in the mirror and make that decision...weather its forgiving, sadness or anger, get it in your head that from this day on your striving to overcome your circumstances and regain the joy taken from you… it takes time, endurance, and a stubborn mindset. But you have to make the decision Sakura if you ever want to get pass this, do it!" Ino said sternly standing tall even while calm tears rolled down her cheeks.

"But why does it have to be so painful," Sakura smiled wiping her tear covered face with an arm. Ino laughed while inviting her best friend into a hug, both of them smiling and crying.

"There wouldn't be any true gain in life if everything was easy…You've got to do better Sakura; you can't keep soaking up my shirts." Ino said in better spirits.

"I'll get you a new one." Sakura smiled again her heart still weary with the situation but more willing than minutes ago.

"Good, cause I really like this one! Now go wash your face we're not done yet!"

"Fine, fine." Sakura left for her bathroom to wash her face. In the midst of patting it dry with a white towel she stopped just below her eyes and paused at the site in the mirror. The bags under her eyes made her look a bad five years older, her frown making grave lines around the space of her nose and mouth and her skin a far cry from its usual radiance. "What have I done to myself?" she whimpered examining her cheek with her hand frowning more.

"_It's your decision." _A voice from the darkest reach of her mind whispered filling her with understanding and gained determination.

"Oh God help me get through this," she spoke to her God she had screamed at only nights ago, "I can't do this on my own." She gave a determined look in to the mirror, "but with you I know I can…difficult is not impossible...thank you Ino." She whispered. When she came out of the bathroom Ino noticed she had put on makeup and even brushed her hair so that it cascaded down from the sides of her face and rested on her shoulders.

"Not bad forehead chan," Ino whistled then smiled, "you just need some finishing touches."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile,<p>

"Sui-ge-tsu"

"Baba!"

"Sui-getsu" the older white haired man tried again.

"Baba!" Seikatsu said giggling thinking it more a game than a serious issue Suigetsu was making it out to be.

"Forget it," sighed a bound liquid ninja looking down at Seikatsu who was smiling at him bottle resting in his grip, "how long have you been alive anyway? What kind of name is that? Seikatsu." He huffed arrogantly smirking, "a man of _my_ bloodline should be named something worthy of his skill."

"And what skill would that be?" Tsunade cut in, "all you can do is turn into a puddle of water." She smirked amused at his interactions with the child.

"Pu-dle!" the toddler exclaimed rising his hands in the air as if to celebrate the word.

"That's right little Katsu! Your dad's a puddle." She teased as she smiled down on the happy child on the floor, "Sakura is coming to get him in two days…her reaction to you and your demeanor towards her will decide how long you'll live. I'd be on my best behavior if I were you." She glared at the simpering man tied to the chair, the grin fading when she finished her sentence. His eyes went back to the smiling child on the floor.

"Why am I still alive?" his eyes narrowed at the infant his voice taking a lower less amused tone, "why seek me out? Why now when she could raise him all by herself?"

"_Because he needs you now_," Tsunade quietly admitted to violet eyes.

* * *

><p>Day Three<p>

"Sakura," whispered a tired voice, "Hey a message came for you." Ino shook her off of her couch with a padded thump.

"Ino pig," she murmured, "its"

"10:25 in the morning and your late for your appointment with Naruto." The blond yawned stealing the cover and taking her place on the couch, "where did you get this thing from its sooo comfy." She fell back to sleep.

"10:25!" Sakura yelled jumping up from her mount of blankets on the ground, "Ino! I'm late!"

"Again?" she whined, "get some birth control girl."

"No! Not that late I mean," she looked around the house; it was messy due to last night's happenings, "Oh never mind you." Sakura rushed to the bathroom jumping in and out of the shower putting on her training gear and rushing to the kitchen.

"Are you even going to help Ino pig!" she fumed scattering for breakfast.

"Sakura not all of us have the ability to party then be ok the next morning like you mothers' do." She muttered and turned over for more comfort, "I'll wait for you here forehead chan."

"Thanks a lot," Sakura said sarcastically as she slipped on her shoes and ran down stairs only to find Naruto waiting at the entrance.

"Sakura chan."

"Sorry Naruto kun," she bowed her head flushed from all the rushing around, "Ino had treated me to dinner and then she dragged me off to this place and it was free drinks for ladies and,"

"It's ok Sakura chan I know," the ever cheerful Naruto cut in, "It won't be long anyway, I want you to be able to rest and get ready for tomorrow today …that was the mission ultimately…but I have a request." His smile softened almost to a thin line.

"Sure…what is it?" Sakura asked curiously.

"You have to promise first, promise to me and…and to yourself; our promise." He blushed across his nose and cheeks.

"Oh…well ok." She smiled a smile Naruto hadn't seen in years. He continued with a nod.

"Promise me that Seikatsu will always have someone." He said simply.

"Someone toooo?" Sakura waited on him to finish.

"That's it…promise he'll always have someone." He looked down at his shoes in thought and spoke, "Its hard living alone…with no one caring and looking after you and everyone looking down on you. It may not stop it all but it helped knowing _I_ couldn't stop because someone precious _cared_ for me." He looked her in the eyes proudly, "Sakura you are a precious being…a mother. I don't know what that's like to have but I do know what it's like not having it and I don't want him to go through that…Sakura as a ninja; as a kunoichi out in the fields make sure you tell him you love him every time you leave and promise me he'll always have someone."

Taken aback by his bold charge she pushed the sadness aside and faced him with determination burning in her heart shining through her eyes, "I promise…he will always have someone…no matter what I will never leave him alone."

He let out a relieved breath before giving one of his famous grins, "good. Well, today you're not supposed to do anything but relax. Think of your life priorities and goals and your presentation of yourself tomorrow. Tsunade expects the best of you now that the worst has poured itself out." He smiled before disappearing into a puff of smoke.

"What do you mean _**worst**_!" she yelled and cursed inwardly knowing too well what he meant. She went back upstairs to her apartment only to find the blond missing and a messy living room. She sighed loudly before walking to the windows and opening the curtains. Light poured into the house revealing the items on the ground. She cleaned up empty cups, their heels from last night, clothes, and an empty bottle of sake, covers and a camera. She stopped to check for any embarrassing photos and found that it was full of her and her friends from last night's events. She saw a drunken TenTen making googelly eyes at a confused looking Neji, a wide mouthed Ino 'whooing' in the Nara's ear one arm around his neck and a blushing Hinata behind a clueless Naruto and herself smiling along with them.

"How long has it been," she asked no one in particular, "hm, two, three years I think…I need to do this more often." She decided with a sad smile, "I'm going to do better…Hm, I forgot everyone went…I don't remember having that much to drink." She said rather nonchalantly before continuing her housework.

Later she sat on her now clean couch in her clean living room with the windows open enjoying the nice breeze that traveled through the house.

"Hey forehead where's your Tea? I think I gotta hang over." Groaned a grumpy Ino covered in sheets Sakura recognized from her bed.

"In the cabinet next to and then above the stove." She said simply.

"What are you doing here anyway?" blue eyes peered across the room.

"I live her!"

"Oh…forgot." She said and continued to the kitchen.

Sakura sighed again lounging on her couch, "Ah Tsunade should do this more often…I love my Katsu but he's more a handful than the Akatsuki." She sighed a little ashamed and sad.

"White or spice!" her friend yelled from the kitchen.

"Lemon!"

"Dammit Sakura," Ino inquired casually, "When someone gives you a choice of two that means there isn't anything else."

"No, it means you rather be lazy and use tea bags instead of brewing the loose stuff." The pink haired girl grinned back.

"So that's white tea right." Ino asked raising a brow before Sakura nodded a positive.

The two sat on the couch sipping tea together, one drinking with a purr while the other drank away a hangover.

"Tomorrow's the day." Ino murmured again.

"Yup!" Sakura said well aware, "strangely I'm not nervous at all."

"Good, we can all make peace with each other."

"Peace with each other," Sakura snorted, "this is for Seikatsu if that ass just looks like he's thinking something ugly I'm going to kill him." She sipped her tea cheerily.

"What? Sakura are you sure about tomorrow?"

"Ya know how God _allows_ things to happen?" she avoided the blonde's question, "he either protects them for their own good or let's things happen for their own good." She said so casually it almost scared Ino.

"Sakura chan"

"So if he _allows_ this idiot to do something analish I'm going to take the opportunity to kick his ass…but don't worry it's for his own good if God _allows_ it and all." She spoke irreverently happy with her perception of the situation.

"Sometimes I don't know if you're a demon or an angel." Ino sipped her cup normally like it was a natural comment, "sure hope the poor guy knows how to pray."

"For his sake," Sakura agreed coolly as they both sat and enjoyed tea silently thinking of tomorrow.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere,<p>

"Baba!"

"For the last time!" the man bound in the chair yelled fed up.

"Oh can it already!" Tsunade yelled from the other room, "He's only two he's not gonna say such a complex name so soon."

"Che, whatever." He murmured.

A couple minutes later the Hokage came in with a bracelet, a long piece of string with one bead on it. She walked in the room over behind Suigetsu's chairs and put it on his wrist. As soon as it touched his skin he felt some of his chakra leave him which inwardly made him nervous, "hey I don't need any jewelry."

"It's not." She cut his bound hands free as well as his feet, "It's to track you and keep your chakra at a safe level for us all. Seikatsu is having one made to."

"He's just a child, what can he do?" he asked in that confident tone of his.

"This child successfully wrapped Konoha in a bubble of water with no concentration whatsoever and it was all over a blue pacifier." She stepped back watching him massage his wrist and stretch his arms and legs, "as I told you before, because of your lineage or genes or whatever you want to call it, Seikatsu has troubled the council greatly."

"And you need me to help him control this yeah I know," he narrowed his eyes resenting the situation._ If only the girl would've talked, I wouldn't have had to do anything to her_, "damn that snake bastard!" he hissed.

"Ba-baster!"

"What?" Tsunade said incredulously.

"Snake bastar**d**!" Suigetsu lightly encouraged until he got hit over the head by an angry Hokage.

"I tell you he is your only life line and you do this!" she flared, "are you stupid? Do you know how to be a father?"

"Yeah, because I've had many children so I'm an expert," he crossed the sardonic line, "no I didn't just find out just days ago that I, an _**S**_ class ninja, fathered a child with some pink hared"

"Baster!" Seikatsu joined.

"Exactly!" the older man smirked, "see he gets it."

"You…**idiot**," Tsunade glared before turning, "you try to escape, you die no questions asked, you ignore me when summoned, you die no questions ask, you"

"I know, if I breathe to loud, I die no questions asked." He spoke annoyed at her reprimand.

"I'm glad we could see eye to eye for once." Tsunade smirked and left him with his mini me. He looked down at the child again in disbelief.

"Dammit!" he face palmed his forehead, "ah, I'm never gonna live this one down."

"Baba!" the toddler went from his knees to his feet stretching his arms up at Suigetsu expectantly. Seikatsu smiled cooing to his father grasping his legs for support of his unsteady feet.

"hm," Suigetsu supposed, "Listen kid, I'm not your mother, I don't hug, kiss, or cuddle and I sure as hell do not tell bedtime stories."

"Stowy?" the small one questioned happily being the child that he is.

"hmp whatever," he dismissed and walked in to the next room, the Hokage's office. She peered up from her paperwork and looked down and smiled when she saw a very happy Seikatsu trying his best to walk to an unmindful Suigetsu. The child hung on to his father's leg looking up with sparkling green eyes.

He looked so adorable she thought she was going to die seeing him this happy. Then she looked at the disinterested father figure, "what do you plan to say to Sakura?"

"Well first off, she needs to stop carrying him everywhere," he crossed his arms and looked away seemingly uninterested, "you can tell she does by how unbalanced he is when he walks."

"_Hm, this'll be interesting_," the Hokage thought, "you'll be free to walk around within the village for nine months until the council comes to see you are trained well enough to keep Seikatsu under positive control. You are free to do what you like on weekends and nights otherwise you'll be with your son." The last two words hit him harder than any death sentence could but the Hokage continued, "If Sakura has a mission you are to watch him the whole time until she gets back. Understood?"

"Baba!" the child called for his attention causing Suigetsu to stare down again, the child smiled and held his hands up trying not to fall to his bottom. Suigetsu continued to stare at the child with narrowed eyes, both afraid and unsure.

"He doesn't bite," Tsunade mentioned while looking at documents, "holding him won't kill you either."

"_His mother probably would_," he thought to himself and sighed reluctantly bending down to Seikatsu's level.

* * *

><p>The Morning,<p>

Sakura was dressed, her mind made up and emotions under control. She smiled in the mirror happy to have her youthful appearance back again but sighed before her determination kicked in. Today she had to prove she could handle being a mother and a ninja. Simple, yet a whole new challenge in itself. She ran to the Hokage's office somehow feeling how close she was to her baby, his warm chakra playing in the air for all to sense and feel. She walked in and saw, Neji, Naruto and Ino lined next to each other while Kakashi sat reading his book in the window as always. Tsunade was sitting with Seikatsu in her lap smiling with the child and then she saw _**his**_ flat white hair, his narrow violet eyes, his bored expression and the arrogant air around him. She thought it best just not to glance at him until she got her Katsu back. She approached the desk.

"Neji give me your report." Tsunade initiated.

"Haruno Sakura was successful in her mental combat breakthrough, instead of continuously reacting according to her emotions; she took them into control and used them for the better of the fight. She was a challenge for the first time in years."

Sakura wanted to glare at the said protege but she re-framed, choosing maturity right now and payback later.

"Thank you Hyuuga," her teacher dismissed, "Ino Yamanaka."

"Haruno Sakura's state of mind seems to be on the right track so far. She showed no signs of depression or withdrawal during the examination of her interactions with groups of people without her son."

Sakura smiled at her longtime friend in appreciation before looking back at the Hokage, "Good," Tsunade nodded very pleased, "Naruto."

"Sakura was relaxed and was not seen outside of her house, she merely cleaned up and drank tea pleasantly." He spoke with an enthusiastic nod towards Sakura.

"Very good." The Hokage faced Sakura, "Haruno Sakura…how was your vacation away from your son?" she raised an eyebrow at her student.

"It was difficult at first Sensei…but after getting the right mindset and facing my reality and the situation at hand, with understanding I am handling it quite well." She smiled.

"And do you think you can handle his father." The sanin's eyes narrowed as she watched Sakura frown.

"I am willing to do whatever it takes to keep my son safe and to get him through this difficult situation," she held her head up, "by any means I will do my best," and with that she bowed hearing her son coo at her mere appearance.

"Good, I now return custody of Seikatsu Haruno over to you. It will be the norm for you both however; Suigetsu is to get to know and learn how to instruct Seikatsu for a good time of his life. For nine months he will be around Seikatsu during the day and have his own time at night past 9 and on weekends. He will also watch the child when you are out on missions. We will see about extensions when the 9 months are up." She looked over at the bored character away from everyone else in the room, "he has a bracelet that lets us know where he is and suppresses his chakra to a point where he's not a threat. You are to write a report about their interactions every night and send it to my office Haruno."

"Hai!"

"_You_ are to behave." She told narrow violet eyes to the side of the room

"We'll see," he frowned.

"Suigetsu," Tsunade regarded again, "This is Sakura Haruno, Seikatsu's mother. You are to obey her rules and restrictions at all times."

"Hmp" was his simple reply.

"Baba!" the child shouted cheerily "Mama!" he reached his hands towards his mom as she in response took him from Tsunade's hold. She didn't cry and her eyes held new meaning as she simply smiled at her baby cooing in her arms.

"Meeting adjourned." Tsunade dismissed the group, "You're being watched Suigetsu, Sakura will house you for the time being."

The young S class criminal didn't reply as he walked out behind Sakura more stunned that she hadn't tried to kill him yet. They walked in silence, Seikatsu being the only one talking as he was also the only one happy with the living arrangements. Suigetsu looked around peaceful Konoha, he saw the busy streets filled with shops and children running around playing, civilians and ninja alike conversing with each other until they reached a quiet street of buildings where Sakura entered walking up some stairs.

She unlocked her door, "it's only a two bedroom so you'll have to take the couch," she set Seikatsu down in the living room and went in to the kitchen for a bottle, "I'll get you pillows and towels when you need them, Seikatsu's room is across from the bathroom my rooms next to his…you have no reason to be in my room so if I catch you in there you'll not like me." She returned to the living room and gave the bottle to the child.

"How old is he?" Suigetsu hadn't felt comfortable enough to move from the front door yet and Sakura wasn't about to make anything easy for him.

"Two years old."

"Shouldn't he have upgraded to a cup by now?" his tone lightened a bit.

"He can when he learns not to play with his water."

"How will he know when you don't give him a chance to learn?" he took a step in to the living room a little sure she wasn't going to do anything.

"I don't know I'm not the one with water jutsu's." she muttered.

"Isn't there anything you want to say to me?"

"You have no idea." She almost hissed.

"Well then say it." He walked up to her feeling the aggressive waves emanating off of her, "I'm right here, you might as well get it over with."

"Ha you couldn't handle it."

"Sticks and stones."

"Don't tempt me." She narrowed her eyes, "you may get something completely different."

"Bring it pinky," and with that his whole world went black.

* * *

><p>There you have it folks, chapter six! Do you think it went to fast? The concept of time is a hard thing to portray when writing. Anywho, Suigetsu and Sakura have finally met! How do you think they should interact with each other from here on out or until some big change occurs? I'm listenin' folks let me know!<p>

Until next time!


	7. Be Strong

Hola all!

Sorry it took so long the holidays take up sooo much time! Shout out to Pandora who's been leaving comments! You are a pillar of awesomeness my friend. Also to a new commenter Nrules Thanks both of you so much! I'm glad you like it enough to say something *hinthint* anyway I should probably tell you that I don't own Naruto…would you hate me if I did?

Lol jk jk on with the show

PS, sorry for mistakes

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><p><strong>Be Strong<strong>

* * *

><p><em><strong>Shaking<strong>_,

Her hands couldn't stop shaking as she tried to make sense of the seen in front of her. Sure she was angry at him and even convinced herself that she wanted him dead, but to have actually achieved such a thing gave her guilt like none before. Peering up from her wet shocked hands she saw his lower half laying in the puddle that use to be his upper half. His head, arms and chest had all exploded into water when she sent her seemingly harmless punch to the face. To make matters worse Seikatsu wouldn't stop crying at the scene of it all. Coming to the ever frightening conclusion,

"I killed him?" she whispered, "I killed him," she said now coming to reality, "Oh my God I just killed him!" she shouted now in a panic running over to his remains, "Oh my God!" she kept repeating over and over, "I didn't mean to kill him! Did I? No! I didn't mean it! Oh my God what have I done? It shouldn't have killed him; I didn't mean to kill him."

"It was only a punch," She cried as guilt now consumed her pulling her to the knees too cry into her hands repeating over and over again, "I can't believe I killed him. I killed him, oh God I'm so sorry. I'm sorry."

"I didn't know you were so fond of me already." A very much alive Suigetsu smirked sitting up next to Sakura on the floor just watching her curiously.

She stopped suddenly peeking through her fingers to see the truth, "you're alive?"

"kinda." He blinked simply.

"I didn't kill you?" she slowly let her hands down.

"No, you just knocked me out for a little bit I think." He said rubbing his cheek as if it were bruised, "damn you're worse than Karin."

"But you were half a person." She leaned in closer her interest surpassing her guilt, "you were a mess."

"It happens." He stood and looked at the crying baby not far from Sakura, "hey stop crying I'm alright." He smiled his sardonic voice a mask for his appreciation, "for being hated, I sure feel loved."

Sakura didn't say anything when she got up. She just sighed and went into the kitchen very stressed yet relieved. Suigetsu looked down at Seikatsu 's small face, his eyes watery from crying, his nose running as an effect and a smile as hopeful as it was; filled Suigetsu with a nameless fear. Mentally brushing it aside for later he bent down to confront his son, the thought of it all still bewildering to him.

"Seikatsu," he paused coming to terms with his reality, "we need to work on this crying you got from pinky."

"Mama!" the child yelled making Sakura look out of the kitchen to watch them both interact.

"Yeah her," Suigetsu said looking back at the kunoichi warily, "we'll work on her."

"How did they find you anyway?" Sakura crossed her arms

"I wasn't found I was left behind." He answered as she disappeared in to the kitchen.

He went to find her sipping tea sitting on the counter, "somehow we were detected by some ANBU in the area…then your kyuubi friend shows up yelling about 'returning home' and 'brothers then family' and the occasional 'not giving up' crap."

"We?" she peered up from her cup.

"Team Taka," he made himself comfortable on the counter next to the sink where Sakura sat on the other side. Seikatsu crawled in with his bottle hanging from his mouth. Both parents watched as he found himself a spot in the middle of the kitchen floor to sip on his bottle contently. He looked from Mama to Baba curiously.

"hn."

"So you've tried a cup before?" the prisoner looked at his son's mother.

"It was an exciting day." She confirmed.

"I see," he continued with the conversation from before the child crawled in, "well long story short they got in to it, Kyuubi got the upper hand and I found myself on the receiving end of it all." He scoffed at the thought, "the snake bastard"

"Orochimaru?"

"No. That snake bastard is dead…I think," he pondered then moved on, "You see in these few years he's surpassed chicken ass and has become snake bastard. It was official the day I woke up in Konoha's prison cell with an abusive Hokage and her uppity ninja."

"Interesting… you're one of his best team mates aren't you?" she set her empty tea cup next to her on the counter, "who's to say he won't come back for you?"

"This may be true…but I'd have to kill you if I told you anymore." He fixed his eyes on Seikatsu again, "I'm sure he wouldn't appreciate that."

"I don't regret him," her voice came down to a whisper, "it was hard at first, I even found myself resenting him a little, but he still loved me and so I loved him back, it wasn't his fault after all. He's just a baby, smart and filled with potential but he's still just a baby…my baby."

She took a breath and looked Suigetsu in the eyes, "I don't care what you think of me…but if you're going to be in his life, do what's best for him. For _his_ sake I give you a second chance. One. Last. Chance"

He didn't reply instead he looked at the child sipping on his bottle on the floor, "we'll see."

"Sakura chaaaan!" came Naruto's cheerful voice warming the chill in the air, "we're all going to spar! Where are you!" he yelled from the window in her living room.

"In the kitchen," she jumped off from the counter and picked up Seikatsu, "who's we?"

"Neji, Sai, Ino, Hinata, the next Hokage!" he sung stepping in to the house, "you should come and bring Seikatsu too! It'll set a great example for him as a Shinobi!"

"I don't know." Her maternal instincts kicked in, "he's still too young to see all that Naruto."

"The younger the better," Suigetsu jumped in, "we all know he's bound to be a shinobi," he grinned, "the quicker he accepts the life style of one the better off he'll be."

"I was young as well when I first started out. It only scared me." she hopped down from the counter to pick the to up.

"That's because you were naïve," he hit a soft spot, "if they had taught you the meaning of war and death, you would have acted more responsibly."

"What the hell do you know!" she burst red faced.

"_Hell" _said a soft childish voice in Sakura's arms.

_Oh no, _Sakura thought shocked at her son's new word.

"Wow, you really are a quick learner," the new father seemed to encourage, "what about Suigetsu…can you say Suigetsu? Sui…Getsu."

"_Getu"_

"Close enough," father and son smiled at each other before noticing a certain pink haired ninja steaming from the ears, "whoa, how does she do that."

_This idiot…is my child's father? This immature, rude, restless, rebellious, criminal is the one Seikatsu will call father and follow after,_ she yelled madly in her brain, _he's going to lead my little Katsu?_ She questioned in incredulity.

"I think I'm gonna go," Naruto took a safe step back looking a bit nervous.

"Naruto," the kunoichi said eerily soft, "take Seikatsu."

Naruto hesitantly took the child from her arms taking a couple more steps back until he jumped back out of the window as Seikatsu cooed gleefully.

"What the _hell_ did I do?" Suigetsu took a defensive stand, "why the _hell_ are you mad at me? What did I do _this_ time…breath the wrong way?" he spoke sardonically, "do you want to punch me in the face again pinky"

"I have a name," she hissed, "Sa-ku-ra!"

"Well, _Sa-ku_-_**re,"**_ he teased playfully, "what's the problem?"

"What's the problem," she shouted stepping up to his face boldly, "My son's father is a jack assed, S-class criminal , that's my problem! And my name is SAKURA SA_KU_RA! RA dammit!"

"Aw I love you too," he played dramatically lifting a feminine hand to his chest, "I just don't know what to say," he fluttered his lashes like some shy school girl.

"Quit being such an ass!"

"Quit PMSing!" he yelled back.

"That's IT!"

"Bring it pinky!"

"IT'S SAKURA YOU JERK!" she through a chakra filled fist.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile at the Hokage's office:<p>

"I have your sake Tsunade sama," said a cheery Shizune.

"Thanks…what's the status today?" the calm blonde took a sip of her brew.

"Surprisingly everything is all green today. Very calm."

**BOOM, **the building shook as mini mushroom clouds formed in various places in the distance behind her.

"Shizune," Tsunade called reluctantly, "call Sakura to my office now and tell her to bring that idiot with her." she muttered returning to the liquid goodness in her cup until another blonde rushed into the room with Seikatsu holding on to his head propped on his shoulders.

"Obaa chan! Sakura and that guy!" he slammed his hands on the desk.

"I know Naruto," she sighed, "don't worry it's just a process."

"Process?" he questioned lifting an eyebrow.

"Yes, now is that all?"

"Obaa!" the child cooed softly, "wove you" his smile gave his green sparkling eyes a joyful balm.

"Seikatsu," she sung his name, "how's mama today?"

"Mama" he exclaimed, "Baba!"

"Oh yeah…him." She muttered lamely.

"Hey Obaa chan I know you told us not to interfere with them until Sakura feels comfortable about it but this guys a real,"

"Baster!"

"Where the hell did he get that from!" Tsunade rose from her seat.

"Hell!" the child exclaimed as if it was a new game using the very same wide shark toothed smile his father wears.

"So that's what's it…" the Hokage chuckled, "you wanna learn from Baba right now." She smiled pinching his cheek playfully, "and Mama is worried about what you may pick up from him."

"Obaaa chan," Naruto whined, "I don't think this is a good idea."

"Tsunade Sama!" another blonde burst in.

"I know, it's being taken care of!" the sanin sighed.

"It's not," Ino gulped, "the situation has gotten to out of hand. They're both too fast to get a hold of. Sakura is out to kill and Suigetsu is running to live..."

"I understand," the Hokage gave another sigh. She looked at the child on Naruto's head discovering imaginary things in the kyuubi's hair, "I'm not Hokage for nothing I guess."

* * *

><p>Tsunade found herself atop a building looking at the raging Sakura and the mocking Suigetsu destroying her precious Konoha.<p>

"This is only day one," she thought, "these two are going to need some help…for Seikatsu's sake…"

"Missed again pinky!" Suigetsu jumped from an imploding building.

"That's not my name!" she roared bursting from the ruble towards the shark ninja.

Tsunade intercepted them both grabbing both by the ears and landing on another building top.

"Ow!"

"AH"

"What's the meaning of this?" she questioned harshly, "you raging around like some lunatic while he parades the town like an,"

"ass." The angry mother spat.

"I know you are but what am I?" the irritated father smirked.

Both of them just seethed angrily until a harsh tug to their ear was given.

"OW!"

"Shishou!"

"Both of you shut up and listen to me! Do you see the damage you've done! The people you've scared! Do you know how this makes me look?"

Both shinobi were quiet.

"No answers huh?" she smirked evilly, "until I get some reasonable answers you're both going to clean up this mess." She tugged on their ear.

"OW! Crazy woman!"

"Shishou! Please!"

"Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes!" they both shouted in pain.

"I don't know what's gotten into you fully grown adult shinobi but I better have some answers later…come to my office when you are finished." She pushed their heads away, "anymore trouble and I'll post you to guard the sewage pass for a week…no breaks."

"ew," both muttered ears pulsing with pain.

* * *

><p>They said nothing as both shinobi collected ruble and helped rebuild houses and shopping stands. They filled holes together in resentment, made new walls with anger, apologized to citizens in disdain, looked at one another with hatred as they both walked to the Hokage's office. They stood in a thick air of exasperation despite their child cooing for their attention. They were too busy loathing each other to notice the happy sounds emitting from the child. Tsunade gave both of them a hard look.<p>

"I'm listening," she stared at them both expectantly.

"I can't do this," Sakura spoke first, "he's unreliable, he won't teach Seikatsu the right things."

"How do you know the right things to teach him?" Suigetsu voiced mercilessly, "He's two and can't walk as well as he should, you have him behind in his speech, and you hover over him so much he cries over every little thing!"

"And letting him see the violence and blood in a shinobi's life is better? Teaching him profanity helps his vocabulary?"

"I didn't teach him profanity it came from your mouth first! "

"Sure then where did he learn bastard from?"

They were allowed to argue until Tsunade raised a hand, "It sounds like you have a parenting problem."

"I'm glad someone gets it," Sakura seethed.

"I'm talking about the both of you." The Hokage surprised the parents, "you were faced with differences but resorted to fighting instead of showing Seikatsu how to settle things peacefully."

"Tsunade sama," Sakura tried

"Not this time Sakura Haruno," her teacher stopped her, "your hotheadedness has done just as much damage both ways...I'm assigning both of you to a parenting class."

"What?"

"Ridiculous."

"I'm serious," Tsunade responded, "it's a two month class. Once a week. All three of you are to be there on time, and you are to look past your differences and see the greater and bigger picture: Seikatsu. Your lives are not your own anymore," she took a breath, "Dismissed."

"Baba!" yelled an innocent toddler at Suigetsu's leg, "Up!"

Suigetsu looked down at his son for several seconds still awed by the little one. Eventually he settled for the child's hand and walked out silently not bothering to look at Sakura. She on the other hand stayed put, gazing as her baby took this criminals hand happily learning from him.

_Am I not a good enough mother_, she thought.

"You're a great mother Sakura," Tsunade read her sad expression, "a little over protective but great. Seikatsu needs his father though."

"Needs?" the medical nin's mood sunk lower.

"I was looking over your medical documents recently. Seikatsu and Suigetsu are very much alike. Feeling a similar chakra around is somewhat nurturing to Seikatsu so he subconsciously lets his chakra cling to Suigetsu's."

"Cling?" the Kunoichi lifts an eyebrow.

"It joins."

"How is that possible?"

"the point Sakura is that Suigetsu is your son's chakra neutralizer. It can be kept under good control as long as his father is around. So you see…"

"This has to go right," she caught on, "this proves Seikatsu is under good control therefore the council can't make him their dog!"

"Exactly!" they rejoiced, "But you have to get along Sakura. It's just as much your fault as it is his. Stop destroying Konoha and try to get along. I'm working on getting him his own place."

"Thank God," she almost fell to her knees in relief, "I don't think I can live with that idiot."

Tsunade shook her head with a grin.

* * *

><p>In the halls of the Hokage tower Suigetsu slowly walked with his mini following clumsily after. He didn't bother to look behind him when he heard the softest thump knowing well that it was his son falling back on his bottom again.<p>

"Baba," Seikatsu called watching his father's back get further away, "Baba! " he started to cry. It was enough for Suigetsu to stop.

"Seikatsu get up and walk." He hissed harshly thoroughly surprising the little one who in turn resigned to sniffling as he studied himself on two clumsy feet and put one foot in front of the other. Suigetsu waited until he was right behind him still facing forward.

"Seikatsu," he exhaled, "you're going to be one of the seven legendary swordsmen one day." He finally looked down at the child who looked a little sad and confused, "be strong."

With that said he continued slowly walking with his son still struggling behind him.

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><p>WOOO!<p>

Its finished folks! I know it's not as long but I'm eager to get more chapters out. The next one will be a little longer. I promise. Tell me what you think, give opinions, I'm willing to add a little something here or there if you request and if it doesn't change my well-formed plot.

Until next time

Chaos


	8. Parenting 101

Hey all! I'm back from vaca, birthdays and school preparation! I promised the next chapter would be a little longer ! well would you look here its longer! O.O lol anyhow, I'd like to thank Devilove for the constructive critique. I think I agree with you, its kinda difficult T.T Also to Brooke and a couple of others, I shall _**continue**_ and _**finish**_ this fanfiction! Thank you all for your encouragement.

_Sigh_-I confess I don't own Naruto but what if I did?

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><p><strong>Parenting 101<strong>

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><p>"Welcome parents!" said a pair of pink lips with a cheery grey gaze to match, "my name is Miss Aubrey and I'll be teaching you parents how to manage your family life!" Groups of three walked in to the colorful kindergarten classroom.<p>

"This chicks gonna teach us how to be parents," Suigetsu muttered.

"I bet she doesn't have any kids," she snorted.

They stood side by side watching as the other couples reached out to one another in discussion. The parents mentally scrutinized the short bouncy brunette as she passed out packets and papers about the class.

"How old do you think she is?" Sakura murmured to Suigetsu.

"18 tops," he crossed his arms leaning to the side.

"Chya let's see how far she gets." her hands found her hips as the arrogant smile turned lopsided to the emerald condemning eyes and the rise of her contemptuous chin.

Both parents agreed with a near noticeable nod before looking at Seikatsu who faced them curiously tilting his head as if they were up to something. Sakura smiled in return while Suigetsu gave a subtle grin. His parents were getting along greatly this morning, but any pair of enemies could get along when a common enemy was in range.

"Let's start off with names and why we're here. Parents in a circle and children in the middle!" the cheery voice carried on.

Many parents moaned and groaned over the sitting arrangements on the floor in Indian style but they all managed.

"Ok! Let's start with our left!"

"It's a circle." Sakura mumbled towards Suigetsu as a pair randomly started their introduction.

"It's a trick question to see who's friendly…probably looking for volunteers," He muttered back.

"I see." Sakura thought just then noticing all eyes on her.

"Oh," she realized, "my name is Sakura Haruno and I'm a medical ninja of Konoha."

"And you mister?" Miss Aubrey asked with the same sweet smile.

"Suigetsu." He simply refused to tell any more than he had to.

"And how did you both come to the decision to take a parenting class?" she asked mystically.

The parents looked at each other sarcasms lacing their thoughts as they both spoke, "it's for Seikatsu."

"Of course it is," she pressed for more information as a certain edge came to her eyes, "but why did _**you both**_ sign up for this class?"

"She's too clingy," the S-class criminal looked away in a dismissive manner.

"He's too careless," Sakura sighed rolling her eyes away as well.

"Ah," the teacher replied in a more refined manner, "parental disagreements."

"Yeah."

"Mhm."

"Don't worry that's why we're all here," Miss Aubrey's temperament seemed to die down a bit, "We're all going to support one another. Now if you would all look at your packets it has eight assignments for the family."

"Wait what?" a woman shouted across the circle.

"You heard me woman!" a male stood to his feet. He was a head taller than the shark shinobi, and older looking too. He had the profile of a model with caramel skin, dark eyes, and dark long flowing hair Sakura was already jealous of.

"If this is such a waste of time then why did you come here!" the lady yelled back. She was just as beautiful only with a more curvaceous body complete with creamy skin, violet eyes, black hair that stopped at her shoulders, and a chest Sakura hated.

_And they say having kids help_, Sakura scoffed inwardly as she looked at her own chest.

"Well we're not gonna get any better learning from a childless counselor!" the man motioned towards the teacher who looked quite annoyed, "seriously who's she gonna teach? I bet she's still a _virgin_, the goody good!"

"I'm standing right here!" the teacher burst standing to her feet. She took a breath before smoothing her brown hair back, "to calm all your _suspicions_ I have twin boys, now in school. I'm 25 years old. I graduated with a bachelor's degree to keep you _saps_ from messing up your kids!"

"Where do you get off calling me a sap, wench!" the woman chimed in.

"an' you say I'm a bad influence for our Yukio." The man muttered with a grin.

"You are!" the woman yelled back.

"_Wench?_" a familiar little voice repeated.

All eyes in the room were on Seikatsu in disbelief as Sakura gave herself a good face-palm while Suigetsu fought the urge to laugh.

"Oh God I'm so sorry." The man looked over in Sakura's place.

"Yeah, he doesn't mean it." the woman smiled apologetically as her hands came up in prayer form.

"It's ok," Suigetsu smiled, "I was wondering about _Miss_ _Aubrey_ here anyway, right Sakura chan?"

"Sakura chan?" the medic ninja gave an unbelieving look, "I mean yeah-we weren't sure about you," she looked at the teacher, "I'm sorry."

"Its fine," Miss Aubrey sighed, "it happens every new session. Are there any more questions before we resume?"

The class was silent as the couple settled down whispering apologies to everyone.

"Good. Then let's start our first exorcise." she stood from the circle, "first, we'll work on your relationship. Parents to start lets test your trust in each other-mothers fall back on fathers, fathers I advise you catch her."

More moans and groans followed after that but all adults stood anyway. Sakura looked at Suigetsu in an interrogative manner.

"I'm not gonna let you fall." He grinned toothily.

"Sure," Sakura muttered, "If you let me fall I'll punch you in the face."

"Do you really want to go over that again pinky."

"It's Sakura"

"Now, now you two get alone!" Miss Aubrey smiled with a giggling Seikatsu in her arms, "think of the reason you're here." She smiled and let them be.

"I'm doing this for my son." Sakura spat sharply.

"don't' you mean our?" the shark ninja grinned, "C'mon fall back, I'll catch you."

_Oh God_, Sakura thought, _if he drops me_

She turned slowly giving him her back before cautiously and surprisingly falling in to his arms. From this position she could see his mischievous eyes and sly grin upside-down.

"You caught me?" she raised a pink brow.

"I said I would," he said simply lifting her up on her feet.

Turning to face him she smiled shyly, "thank you."

"Hey I was just following orders." he claimed crossing his arms and looking away at the other couples in the room.

For a moment Sakura wondered about him, if he cared, who he was, why he was, she wanted to know for but a moment until the mention of her name brought her to the tall figure of the beautiful woman whom chest she was jealous of.

"Sakura right?" the woman smiled.

"Yes" both mother instantly clicked.

"My name is Emi, I really am sorry for my husband's outburst we've been going through some issues with the new baby and all."

"No it's all right," Sakura laughed, "my Seikatsu knew a few words before that one anyway. His father is quite the anal."

"Tell me about it." Emi laughed, "Akio doesn't know when to shut up."

"Good job so far people!" Miss Aubrey clapped, "Now vice versa."

More groaning and moaning could be heard from the adults as yet again Suigetsu and Sakura came face to face.

"So can I threaten you too or should I fall to the ground on my own?" his voice held an ounce of seriousness.

"I'm not going to drop you." Sakura crossed her arms, "not in less you turn in to a puddle of water."

"Very funny."

"ya think?"

"Ok fathers fall back." The instructor ordered.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as he turned around and fell back as if he really trusted her. It's not that she wasn't trust worthy. She was going to catch him, she really was, she wanted to prove she could be trusted too but then

_**Thump**_,

It was silent for a moment, all the attention was on the couple now in surprise and amusement, Sakura being the most shocked one there. She kept her pose starring down at her hands as if she murdered someone. Really she wanted to catch him…or at least that's what she told herself.

"Sakura." Suigetsu said quietly.

"Yes." She answered in a whisper.

"What the hell?"

"I'm sorry."

"_The_ _hell_!" he could hear his double giggling somewhere near.

"Exactly," Suigetsu agreed.

* * *

><p>Later the family: Sakura, Suigetsu and Seikatsu were walking quietly back to Sakura's apartment. Seikatsu was battling it out with his balance, Sakura walked behind him in guilt, Suigetsu lead the way still mad about catching and not being caught. The village wasn't as busy so he took his time knowing well his son wasn't able to keep up just yet.<p>

_That woman would've crippled him if I never came…the __**nerve**__ of her_, he thought to himself.

"Suigetsu," Sakura quietly called.

"What? You wanna drop me again?" he kept walking.

"You slipped through, I didn't mean it." She pleaded. It was alright if he was an idiot but she kept herself up to high standards.

"Yeah whatever." He murmured and disappeared from sight.

"I just don't understand that guy! I said sorry, I meant to catch him, is that not enough?" she looked at the child preoccupied with walking properly like his father, "I mean you get along with him really well, don't you? And what's with the change and the _Sakura chan _why's he being so nice all the sudden!" she swooped the child up from the ground before he tried to sprint.

"I can here you ya know!"

"Go away!" now she was walking faster with Seikatsu in hand.

"I wish I could." He muttered for no one to hear.

"What was that?" Sakura stopped, turning around before putting the toddler down.

"No worries pinky."

"What?" she saw him a few feet behind her.

"I forgive you." He frowned.

"Forgive me? I didn't do anything! It's not a big deal!"

"Trust is not a big deal?" he cut her tung out with the phrase as he passed her taking the child in hand in the process and putting him back on his small feet.

Sakura sighed for the final time as they continued home. When they got in, Suigetsu made himself comfortable on the couch while she walked silently to the kitchen with Seikatsu. She sat the eager child on the counter as she pulled down a neon green bowl presumably the toddlers. Chopping an apple she spoke to her son.

"How did I end up being the wrong one here?" she sighed. Picking up her son and his bowl she set him in the highchair at the round table. Once he was locked in she set the bowl down, "you still love me Katsu, don't you?"

The child offered one of his apples out of kindness. It was silent for a minute until finally, she sighed, coming to terms with being wrong.

Approaching the victim, she crossed her arms, "let's try again."

"Try again?" it just didn't sound right in his ears.

"Stand up." she walked to him.

"Wait, no it's not that serious."

"Our trust isn't that serious?" she asked with a grin, "for Seikatsu," she offered.

"Fine then." He stood up and turned his back to her, "you change diapers for the next week if you drop me again."

"Fair enough." She smiled as he fell back successfully landing in her arms eye to eye with one another, "trust established?"

"Established," He gave a small smile back.

"Apple!" Seikatsu raised a slice of green apple in the air for all to see.

Both parents looked at him from their awkward position.

"He really does like you," she gazed at her son love evident in her eyes.

Suigetsu slowly let himself up. She was still looking at the toddler like a light found in thousands of years in darkness; dotingly.

"Well, I better go make lunch." She headed for the kitchen.

"pinky."

"It's Sakura," she entered the kitchen.

Suigetsu smiled behind her vanishing form before an apple slice slapped his cheek. He turned to the giggling child in the highchair. The new father approached him with his own naughty grin.

"How did you get that from here to there? I know you don't have that much force in either of your arms." The child simply smiled at him as if he had a silly secret.

"I know there's greatness in there" he rests his hand on the child's head, "especially if you're mine. We just gotta convince pinky to let it out." They shared a smile.

"You guys are too quiet in there!" Sakura yelled from the kitchen.

"We're secretly plotting against you!"

"Sure."

_Really, we are_, Suigetsu thought still smiling at the child as if the toddler could read his thoughts, _and she's going to agree to it too_, he ruffled the boys hair before noticing the packet from parenting class sitting on the table.

"Hey lady," he sat down and viewed the list of assignments, "are we actually going through with homework or what?"

"We have to if we want to pass."

"_Lady_!" the miniature man banged on the top of his highchair, "Appoe!"

"_More_ apples," Suigetsu voice sternly to the child, "you're not some caveman."

_And you aren't_, Sakura thought inwardly scowling at him as she set more apple slices in front of the demanding one, "please is the operative word here."

"_Please_ never got me Kisame's samehada," he mumbled still reading the packet seriously.

"Ok, really!" Sakura threw herself in the chair across from seigetsu and crossed her arms pointedly at him.

"What?" he met her eyes, slowly setting the packet down.

"What's with this change all the sudden?" she sat up, "first you're afraid to even look at him and now you're both all buddy, buddy! Then you start with this, 'we have to teach him things,' and now you're actually being nice and respectful. What are you up to?" she glared holes in to his head.

Suigetsu sat quietly letting the rant sink in for a moment before studying Sakura for what seemed like forever to the said ninja until he spoke, "I…have decided."

"Decided?" Sakura was dumbfounded by the vague answer, "I don't understand."

"Seikatsu," the man rests a hand on the boys head, "is going to be part of the revived 7 legendary swordsmen."

"huh"

"So instead of leaving this great embodiment of skill, I plan to train him and make him a part of my…cause."

"Your cause?" Sakura lifted a brow.

"Yup"

"This little ball of goofiness?" She even pointed to the curious child.

"Mhm, that's him." He nodded enthusiastically.

"This boy?" she motioned to him with both hands now.

"My first follower."

"Our _son_." She almost growled the last part.

"No,"

"Huh?"

"Mine."

"What?"

"_**My**_ son…I told you we were plotting against you." He chuckled, "he's on my side now."

She looked at both man and boy, with their toothy shark grins, plus the mischievous spark in their gaze. Outnumbered as well as, too tired to fight her already losing battle, she sat up and left the room.

"Mama?" the child voiced to the air.

"I know right. What's up with her?" he resumed his reading.

* * *

><p>Sakura closed her door shutting herself off from the new world being created at the dining room table. Seikatsu and the criminal were getting along better than she thought ever possible. Sighing again she noticed an odd looking owl at her window. She slid the glass open to accept the note. The bird flew off as she closed the window shut. Her eyes lit up as she read the note.<p>

"A mission,"

Rushing to her closet and pulling out her uniform, she threw her current clothes off. It landed by the door. Shoving on her shorts and shirts and any other gear needed for the short mission she put her hair in a ponytail and slid her window back open.

"Be good Seikatsu," she whispered wondering for a moment if it was safe leaving him with the criminal. She jumped off as the wind whistled around her. She landed and pushed herself back up on to the many roof tops of Konoha. Racing toward the Hokage's office two more figures appeared beside her.

"Hey, forehead chan! You were called to?"

"Thankfully!" she replied with a beaming smile.

"Watch it Sakura," Ten Ten came to her other side, "it's almost as if you need a break from little Katsu!"

The young mother said nothing as she laughed happy to be out and free for a moment. They landed on top of the Hokage's tower where her sensei stood amused at how quickly she left her son for a mission.

"I trust Seikatsu is safe?"

"Yes ma'am!"

"Good, this won't take long. There's been a break in the system. We don't know who or how many but I want you three to go and check where they entered and tell me if you see anything familiar."

"Yes!"

The three of them vanished.

* * *

><p>"Hey lady! Open the door!" Suigetsu yelled at Sakura's room door. He waited for a while before confirming his suspicions. He walked into the room and sensed no one there. She was gone.<p>

"I thought so." He looked down at the child standing next to him who was looking up.

"Guess we're goin' out." He smiled lifting the little one and resting him on his shoulders, "hold on."

That said Suigetsu jumped out of the same window Sakura did. The child cooed gleefully as they landed. The liquid ninja then sprint through the town despite the child gripping his hair painfully tight, he knew his son was enjoying every minute of it.

"Pretty cool right?" he spoke to his giggling son, "watch this!"

The father jumped high in to the air jumping off of another wall and continuing the sprint on the roof tops. They were on the very edge of Konoha's busy district when he took a high jump in to the air. In midair Seikatsu decided to let go of his father's hair, not knowing the laws of gravity, he thought he could fly for that moment.

"Shit." Suigetsu thought feeling the weight lighten and watching his son laugh at his own near death. The new father landed first and caught the child in his arms carefully. Father and son looked at each other; one happily and the other curiously.

"Park!" Seikatsu yelled pointing to the playground they landed in front of.

"_The_ park. You're not an ape remember?"

"deh park." His mini tried again with a genuine smile.

"Close enough." He sighed putting the child down again.

Suigetsu watched his tot in the sand box interacting with no child and keeping to himself. Questioning the situation at hand he let him sit there by himself until another kid about his age came and plopped down next to him with a bucket. The kid started filling his bucket with sand; Seikatsu saw this and decided to help.

"Precious things aren't they" the outspoken man from the parenting class came beside Suigetsu.

He didn't answer the man just stood there and watched Seikatsu.

"I know what you mean," the man continued, "I use to be afraid too."

"I'm not afraid of anything." The ninja spoke plainly.

"Sure you aren't," the man offered a hand, "The name's Akio. That's my little tot in the sand with yours."

Suigetsu didn't answer and wouldn't acknowledge his gesture.

"Yukio was a surprise," Akio started suddenly, "it took me a while to accept my literal screw up too and when I did I became nervous. Every time I was around him I was unsure but somehow the little guy had me loving him as much as I hated everything else."

"Suigetsu stop being such a jerk and answer the guy," Sakura landed next to them in her uniform. ANBU had informed her of sudden sprint from the house.

"Thanks for telling me you were gone Pinky." The familiar sardonic tone reinforced.

"Whatever, you knew I was gone." She huffed, "So that's Yukio? He's beautiful." She smiled where the children were playing.

"Yeah, he's going to be 3 in two weeks now." Akio informed.

"Really, Seikatsu's birthday is a month away."

"No wonder they get along so well. They're both spring babies." The two laughed ignoring the ice cube in the middle.

"It's not that they were born around the same time," the ice cube voiced plainly, "the other children are weary of them so they stay away. I assume Yukio belongs to a shinobi family seeing as he gets along with Seikatsu very well."

"Yea, Emi works interrogation time to time." Akio's eyes seemed to soften at the sound of her name, "we're taking the class because of it."

"I see." Sakura thought, "I wonder how many others are shinobi, in there."

Interrupting her thought Seikatsu and his new friend walked up to the adults with the bucket of sand. They poured it out in front of the parents before laughing wildly as they tried to sprint away.

"Hold it there tot!" Akio swooped his son in to his arms, "mom should be home in time tonight. We gotta go."

"Aw, no" the child whined, "I wanna play wif-wif-wif- my fwiend."

"Next time Yukio," he promised and looked at Sakura, "expect to see us around."

"Same to you," she smiled back, "I haven't seen him interact with anyone else his age like this before."

"Great then, see ya' round." He set his child down, "let's go tot."

"But-but- I don't wanna."

The child continued to argue as they walked back into busy Konoha.

"So how did you guys end up out here?" Sakura started, "leaving no note, no trace, just up and left."

"Sound familiar?"

"I'm not the S-class criminal."

"I'm not the mama."

"You know what…forget it."

"No problem pinky."

"It's Sakura!"

"_Lady_!" the little one chimed in.

"Exactly." Suigetsu smiled at his mini.

"uhg whatever. I have to report to the Hokage's office. You can handle giving him a bath can't you?"

"I could handle a whole river. A bath is nothing." He scoffed picking up Seikatsu and sprinting off.

Sakura looked after them wondering if it was really safe, not for Seikatsu but for Suigetsu. Her son was cute but monstrous in his own element. What was worse about it was that he thought it was play time when really, such techniques are used out on missions.

"I'm sure they'll be fine," she told herself.

* * *

><p>"Wadder!" cried a very happy toddler splashing in the bathtub. Suigetsu sat on the ledge of the tub just watching him play in his own element. Everything was going well until he noticed a certain bubble in Seikatsu's hands, was not popping as a bubble should. Recalling the huge bubble he heard about, he watched curiously as it grew and grew and grew until it engulfed Seikatsu. It didn't seem to be hurting him at all. In fact other bubbles of water came to shape themselves in to animals. The child grabbed the elephant and the pig to play with them within his own watery bubble.<p>

"Impressive." He mumbled.

Seikatsu cooed joyfully. He smashed the water animals together as they turned in to many more bubbles. That's when Suigetsu noticed the child's limbs merging with the water in the tub. All the sudden there was this giggling water-wind whirling around the room. All the water in the tub was gone and the water in the toilet slowly came to float as if attracted to the whirling giggles in the bathroom.

Inwardly panicking, he sought to reduce the flying, whirling, water and any addition to it by flushing the toilet. It stopped any more water from adding itself. However, he didn't count on Seikatsu following it down the urinal.

"Shit!" he shouted gripping the toilet on both sides looking down it as if it were a well. "Get back up here!" he shouted to it.

"_What are you doing_?" A familiar voice called.

"_Shit_" he thought.

"Um…nothing…get out I have to pee." He pushed Sakura out of the door way and slammed it.

"Where's Seikatsu?" she asked through the door.

"Um in the bathtub," he lied still looking down into the urinal.

"While you're peeing?"

"Go away!" he spoke more frantically than he'd wanted to.

"What's wrong!" now she was starting to panic.

"Nothing…I think."

"Suigetsu!" she kicked the door in only to find he had torn the whole toilet out of the floor. He was staring into the whole in the floor hopelessly.

"What's wrong? Where's Seikatsu? Why are you staring at that, why did you tear the toilet out?" she couldn't stop.

"I…flushed him." He whispered pointing to the whole and covering his face with one hand.

"You WHAT!"

"I was trying to stop him from merging and he…" the shark ninja couldn't finish.

"Kastu!" Sakura shouted angrily into the whole, "You get yourself back up here!"

"I tried that…"

"Mama!" they heard his call from a distance.

"The kitchen" both parents rushed to find the child smiling sweetly in the kitchen sink naked.

They rushed to the boy. Suigetsu never felt such relief flow through him as he hugged him close. Then a pint of anger followed, "don't you _**ever**_ do that again!" he yelled.

"Seikatsu!" Sakura approached the two, "You know better than to do that!"

"Don't yell at him."

"what?"

"I've taken care of it." Suigetsu dismissed it and started to walk away.

"Taken care of it? You _**caused**_ it!"

"Didn't you read todays assignment in the packet? One of us should discipline and the other should back it up lightly. I've done the disciplining, find another way to support the idea of _**not**_ merging with bodies of water."

Leaving Sakura speechless he went to the child's room.

* * *

><p>Later,<p>

Everything was back to normal. Sakura had served and cleaned up dinner for the night. Now she was cleaning the food that mysteriously avoided the tot's mouth.

"You're so messy, Katsu." She wiped his cheek lovingly bouncing him on her hip, "you can't scare mama like that again, okay? It makes your Baba and Mama sad when you go away like that."

"Mama sad?" the child looked ready to cry as he hugged Sakura as best he could, "sowwy."

"It's okay my little Katsu." She kissed his forehead.

"Wove you Mama." He smothered his slimy lips on to her cheek.

"I love you Katsu." She smiled as she walked into his room. She didn't want to think about nor did she see Suigetsu leaning on the wall next to Seikatsu's door way. She settled the toddler into his crib tucking him in as gently as love could.

"Towy?" Seikatsu yawed holding on to her hand that was resting on his stomach.

"Only one," she smiled tenderly, "then you must sleep."

The child seemed to snuggle deeper into his covers and pillow as she began the story.

"Once upon a time there was a prince. He was nice but feared by his people. So he was sad because he never made any friends. One day, a big monstrous bird came along and attacked the people with lighting storms. It hated his people and wanted them to be as sad as the lightening bird was. The people went to the prince because he was strong they knew he could defeat it. And the prince loved his people so he went to battle the lightening bird. The bird laughed at him and called him weak so the prince acted as if he were. He ran through the woods away from the kingdom until the bird cut him off in the river as he planned. The bird laughed at him again mocking his name. But when the bird tried to electrocute him, the prince jumped out of the water letting the bird electrocute itself."

"The prince returned with the bird on a silver platter for the people. They all rejoiced and ate and celebrated the death of the monstrous bird. The people weren't afraid of him anymore. In fact, they came to love him and so he then had friends. The kingdom was prosperous and they all lived happily ever after."

She whispered the last part as she slowly slipped her hand out of sleeping Seikatsu's grip. Quietly, she walked out of the room leaving the door open enough for her to hear him sleep.

" 'Some prince you've got there." Suigetsu stood up from leaning on the wall.

"He likes heroic stories," she yawned before going to her room, "Oh, and I _lightly enforced_ your _discipline_." She left her door half way open and went to bed.

* * *

><p>2 A.M<p>

"Baba," the child sniffled in the dark, "Baba."

"Hm," Suigetsu stretched on the couch a bit before realizing the teary eyed tot was in front of him, "what is it now?" he sat up.

The child climbed on to the couch beside him. He grabbed his father's hand and placed it on his head.

"You're burning up." He spoke groggily, "hold on a minute I know what'll help."

Seikatsu waited on the couch rubbing his eyes. He was just as tired as his father. Before a minute, Suigetsu sat next to Seikatsu with a groan handing him a cup of water. He watched the tot grip the cup with both hands being that the cup was as big as them. The tired ninja gripped the bottom of the cup with one hand to control the child's intake.

"Slowly, don't drown yourself."

When the child finished it Suigetsu set the cup on the table and felt his head again.

"You should be fine now." He yawned.

The tot made himself comfortable in his father's lap yawning widely.

"Towy?"

"I told you I don't do bedtime stories."

"Towy pease?" the pleading look in his eyes defeated the tired gaze of the shinobi.

"Fine, but after this you're going back to your room."

Again, Seikatsu made himself comfortable laying his head on the tired one's chest.

"Once upon a time…" he started, "there was a king. He was powerful and content until one day he was struck with a sickness called sadness…To cure it the king needed to find something called joy. He tore the lands apart looking for it. Eventually, he came to a village known for its happiness and rumors of this joy. He turned the village upside-down but no one would give him their joy so he kept tearing their lands apart. The people then came to fear him more than anything."

"One day a girl came to him with a clam. She claimed it held joy, she claimed this joy was contagious and in return for it he would have to restore the lands. He agreed but when he saw the small, rigid clam, he called it foolish and destroyed her land anyway. He went back home with the sadness sickness still ruling him. He was about to give up his search for joy when suddenly the clam the girl gave him started to glow. He opened it to find a pearl that had an even brighter glow. It grew and grew and grew in front of his eyes until he could no longer hold it in his hands. It was a giant pearl but something was strange about it because it started to crack."

"A boy stepped out of the broken pearl and approached the king. He didn't say anything. The boy just smiled something so bright it touched the king and made him smile to. He then realized he had caught joy. The king was cured of his sadness. He remembered the village of happiness and restored it as promised then rebuilt his in ten times better than it was. The king made the boy prince of his kingdom so the people always had joy…and they lived happily ever after…the end."

"I wove you Baba." The child mumbled his last words before sleep claimed him.

Suigetsu could only gaze at his son in wonder. A moment later he was tucking Seikatsu in, leaving the door half way open when he heard her voice.

" 'Some king you have." She smiled through the darkness.

"…Some girl too." He replied returning to the couch and some much needed sleep. Sakura questioned his words before returning to bed herself dreaming of lightening birds, brave girls and sad kings.

* * *

><p>Gosh that took sooooo long to write! I'm glad it's over. I hope you all enjoyed it. Let me know with a comment good or bad or whatever :D<p>

Until next time

Chaos


	9. Blood Limit Pt I

Thanks for waiting folks! Sorry it took so long! To make it up to you I worked a little bit of fluff in there! It's just a start though :D we don't want anything to go too fast do we :3

* * *

><p><strong>Blood Limit I<strong>

* * *

><p>A long summer day usually ends in a peaceful night if you're Sakura and Seikatsu Haruno. The two sang words back to each other while helping Suigetsu clean up his new apartment.<p>

"Sweeping," the mother sang with the broom in the small but workable kitchen.

"_Seeping_," Seikatsu held the dust pan in place on the floor.

"Sweeping with Seikatsuuuu"

"_Seeping wif mama_aaa"

"Really?" Suigetsu's sardonicism had been left on high the whole day or at least when he saw his small, quite small, apartment earlier that day.

* * *

><p><strong>Earlier<strong>

Even Sakura was put off at the dump offered to him being that Seikatsu would be sleeping here on weekends. It was dusty, dirty and old-fashioned which gave Sakura more reason to intervene and add her _womanly_ _touch_, for her baby's sake she said. She had washed the stone walls until their natural color looked a rich vintage Beige; she had Suigetsu buff and wax the dark, chocolate-red wood floors until Seikatsu could slide around in his socks; and together they painted the kitchen cabinets a rich dark brown in addition to some red finger prints here and there, courtesy of Seikatsu. Suigetsu, to prove his artistic ability, added a Beige backsplash in the kitchen to bring the whole place together.

But this wasn't enough for Sakura, no she had to pick out the furniture too. So the family bought a chocolate brown love seat to match the floors and a brown and red carpet to rest under it. To complete the living room she added a red coffee table in front of the couch where Seikatsu could eat or color if he wanted.

One could see everything when walking through the front door. The vintage Beige walls, the rich luminescent chocolate-red wood floors, the couch about a foot or two away from the balcony sliding glass door, and the kitchen with its brown and red accents, also courtesy of Seikatsu. Still there was some complaint about a dining area that Mother Hen simply would not have her chick do without.

Noticing how the island made the kitchen and living room more distinguishable, Suigetsu added two tall, red stool chairs proclaiming it the dining room. Now, mother and child stop to look at the work they had accomplished in the kitchen.

* * *

><p>"All done sweeping" she continued to sing.<p>

"Seeping wif mamaaaa"

Suigetsu sighed as he took a seat in one of the red stool seats at the island counter and buried his face in his hands.

"Tired?" Sakura asked while taking the dust pan away from Seikatsu and stashing it in the crevasses of the wall and refrigerator across from the island. It was a tight apartment but they made it work wonderfully.

"Playing interior design with you all day? No, I'm not tired," he seemed to be irritated as he took hold of the parent assignment packet on the island.

"You're really serious about this aren't you?" she raised a pink brow and a crooked smile.

"You did not just ask me that." He mumbled in to his hands. It was week 4 of the parenting 101 session and he was on top of everything.

"All done!" Seikatsu raised his hands to show his hard work with a beaming smile that later turned into a long yawn, "Mama... seepy,"

"I know baby," she picked him up and started to sway with him in her arms, "its bed time let's try to eat a little bit of dinner first mkay?"

"Mhm," the child nodded into his mother's chest fighting off the oncoming sleep.

"Suigetsu," she walked around to Suigetsu who was trying to stay awake himself as he stood up to take his mini. She watched them disappear into the small hallway where their two rooms waited, adjacent.

She took this time to peer down at the parental packet of assignments, skimming over the check list Suigetsu had worked so hard to complete:

Developing walk/run

Small full sentences

Word correction

Socialization (Test this week)

Practice independence

"I can do that." She smiled to herself.

"He couldn't stay awake," the liquid ninja walked to the living room only to plop down on the couch, "fell asleep."

"It's been a long day," she yawned, "God…what a day…I don't want to cook I'm so tired." But she made them fresh homemade pizza anyway.

* * *

><p>"Perhaps I shouldn't have pushed so hard today." She set plates of pizza on the red coffee table.<p>

"No, he needs to break away from naps; he won't have that when he enters school…week 4 right?"

"Yeah," Sakura took a look at the packet on the island counter, "4 more lessons."

"What's the lesson?"

"Independence…letting him clean up after himself and such." She sighed, "He's doing a lot better now, speaking full sentences and running away from me; that booger."

"I'd run too if you're threatening my crayons." Suigetsu snickered.

"I was tired of cleaning the walls!"

"What happened to, 'he's just a baby' hm?"

"Whatever," she huffed, "I'll be back in the morning for Seikatsu, remember he,"

"I got this pinky," he took a bite out of the pizza.

"2 a.m. Suigetsu; remember." She said sternly and grabbed her bag by the door and left the building.

* * *

><p>It was about midnight when the sliding glass door quietly hissed open. A black foot stepped in, a leg, two, a whole body cruised slowly in the living room slowly sneaking past the red coffee table through the short hallway and in to Seikatsu's room. The dark figure stepped over small toys and baby books and peaked over in to the crib only to find it empty. He looked around the room to see toys, a little table and crayons on it. Narrowing his nonexistent eyes to the door across the hall, it silently walked through the wall to find what he was looking for in the arms of a familiar looking missing ninja.<p>

Nodding negatively to himself, he disappeared from the room to the roof of the building where a black wire came from behind and choked him until he couldn't struggle anymore.

"Who sent you" a feminine voice growled. She tightened her grasp when he didn't answer, "Who sent you!"

"Easy," Naruto came out of nowhere, "he can't when you're choking him."

"I don't care," her voice shared no signs of letting go or even loosening her grip, "this, whoever this is, wants my"

"You're gonna kill 'em!" Naruto pushed her aside to save their newest prisoner. The man had passed out so Naruto lift him over the shoulder, "I'm going to report back to Tsunade now, and you should get some sleep."

"Sure," she doubted she would even go home, and to prove it to herself she stayed on that rooftop the whole night watching over that particular apartment building.

* * *

><p>"Hey… hey pinky, wake up."<p>

"hmmmm, Seikatsu not now." She had fallen asleep no more than two hours ago against a wall on the roof of the building.

"Mamaaa!"

"Ladyyy!" they both yelled.

"WHAT!" she jumped up furiously.

"That old woman wants us to report to the hospital." Suigetsu frowned down at her with rings around his own eyes as well, "did you get any info?"

"No…I…knocked him out."

"Way to go lady," he yawed and set a happy- well rested Seikatsu on his shoulders. Sakura stood up herself.

"Good morning baby," she tried her best smile, "did you sleep well?"

"At least somebody slept last night," Suigetsu let out another yawn, "let's get this over with."

They all raced to the hospital where Tsunade had waited in a regular checkup room. The family filed in two by one.

"Wow, you guys look like,"

"Crap? Yeah I know." Suigetsu grinned tiredly, "So what's this about?"

"Yeah" Sakura was leaning against the wall due to lack of energy.

"Well, I have some good news mixed with some bad." The Hokage closed the door.

"uh gooosh it doesn't stop," Sakura whined.

"Bring it" the liquid ninja's eyes narrowed.

"We've been studying Seikatsu and his blood as of late and we've finally got some results" she smiled excitedly, "Sakura, you are now the proud mother of a new blood limit!" she smiled as if it were an engagement announcement.

"New blood limit?" she raised a pink brow, "you mean, no one else can do it, you mean, it could only be passed down in blood, like Seikatsu's children will be the only ones able to do the things he can do?"

"Exactly!"

"_Snake bastard… I knew he was up to something when he didn't kill her." _Suigetsu thought.

"Suigetsu you don't seem too happy," the Hokage crossed her arms, "what's wrong with the both of you? Don't you see the solution?"

"What's the bad news," the father narrowed his eyes.

Tsunade flinched at the question, "…the information… leaked."

"Leaked!" they both yelled.

"How the hell,"

"Sensei how,"

"There was a mole in our mists! We didn't find out until he was killed on a mission yesterday!" she didn't' uncross her arms she just huffed and looked away.

"So that's why my Katsu's been under watch? They want his blood limit." the mother seemed dead in her statement due to her sleepless night.

"Mama I woooooove yooou," Seikatsu was grasping his father's hair with a smile waiting on his mother's reply.

"Come here baby" she sighed and beckoned for the child reaching up to bring him into her arms. She walked out of the room as if nothing important was said, "Let's go to the playground."

"Sakura,"

"She didn't sleep last night…you can tell her later." Suigetsu cut in as he too, crossed his arms and met the sanin's glare head on.

"I actually have some news for you too Suigetsu," she took a frustrated breath, "as part of the blood limit, you need to decide if you want to become a citizen of Konoha or deal with your own village…should you decide to go back to your own village, the fight for Seikatsu's life will be split into three: the council, your village and Sakura."

"…I'll think about it," the liquid ninja stretched as if he was still trying to wake up, "so much to think about."

"_These two_..." Tsunade mumbled irritated at her student and the criminal.

* * *

><p>Later Suigetsu found Sakura sitting under a healthy green tree watching Seikatsu run around with the other tots his age. He took a seat next to her.<p>

"Some morning huh,"

"Yeah," she answered softly, "…I just wanted him to be happy… if nothing else."

"Chill out pinky, he's happy." The liquid ninja spoke casually, "kids who aren't happy don't smile, don't sing, don't do anything…besides I'm doing a good job at this parenting thing, so if you wanna beat yourself up use someone else for your reasoning."

"..."

"So…a new blood limit?"

"Easy…Orochimaru; it was his plan all along, that explains why he wouldn't kill me." She mumbled closing her eyes as she stretched out on the green grass, using her hands as pillows for the back of her head.

Suigetsu sat cross legged just watching Seikatsu run up the bar latter to slide down the slide again. He knew he had grown attached to the kid, every second of the day went to training him to walk, teaching him to talk, and building him up to overcome the many challenges that would come simply because he was his son. Now that Seikatsu holds and has demonstrated a new blood limit, it was just as important to be there for him. To protect him and even…

"_Sakura_"

How long had it been since they met? Since he had dragged her through the dark halls of the sound village hideout, threw her in the worst room he could find and shut the door to never look back; a year or three? Regardless, he didn't see this coming. Would he have changed it if he did?

"Katsu," her groggy voice brought him out of thought.

She was talking in her sleep.

"_Dreaming of him_" he mused at her affections for their son.

Suigetsu had to admit, the kid did grow on him. The little tot ventured into the darkest reaches of his heart and pulled out the last strand of goodness left in the criminal's soul. That little shark toothed, giggle filled, bedtime-story junkie, his one and only son Seikatsu was bringing about a change in him. He and this odd pink wonder…

"_Sakura_"

He lay next to her, on his side, just to see her face when it wasn't tense, her eyebrows when they weren't furrowed, her nose when it wasn't wrinkled, her lips when they were quiet, her eyes; if only he could see her eyes when they weren't glaring.

"_If only_…"

Slowly he reached out to lightly caress her soft cheek with the very tips of his fingers.

"_It's warm_" he lightly brushed her cheek, this time with the back of his hand, letting his fingers linger before resting his hand on her cheek while his thump softly fondled her lips. It almost startled him when her hand came up to gently grasp his.

"Seikatsu, sweetie mama's sleepy now" she mumbled. Suigetsu chuckled lightly.

"You are the clingiest, most emotionally-retarded woman I've ever met," suddenly he pinched her cheek and pulled.

"Hey pinky wake up." He let her cheek slap her awake and watched her explode.

"WHAT. THE. HELL SUIGETSU! IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU? CAN'T ANYONE SLEEP YOU BIG-"

"Not in front of the children lady," he smirked when she noticed everyone within the park radius was staring at her like she was a madman.

"The hell baba," Seikatsu giggled as his father looked up to find him in the very tree they were standing under.

"Exactly." He grinned.

"Seikatsu Haruno you get down here!" Sakura had, had enough of the both of them.

"How'd you get up there kid?" Suigetsu spread his arms and the child jumped in to them laughing.

"Secket baba, ssssss," Seikatsu whispered with a grin as big as his father's.

"Are you two done now?" a rather flustered Sakura stood, hands on hips, eyebrows furrowed, nose stressed, lips scowling, and eyes glaring to their fullest intent.

_If only_

"Actually…No we have some unfinished business to attend to. We just wanted to excuse you." He set the child on his shoulders.

"Excuse me?" she asked incredulously, "what am I you're maid!"

"Mm, not quite but see ya later don't wait up." And they ran off.

She didn't have the energy it took to go after them, clobber one and reprimand the other. She wanted nothing more than to sleep.

"_Yes sleep_" she relaxed her shoulders and began to trudge her way home.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile in the Hokage's office was a small group.<p>

"But obaa chan, he's an S class criminal! He's out to destroy Konoha!" a particularly excited blonde shouted in the Hokage's face.

"This has nothing to do with you Natuto," Tsunade took a sip of her sake and looked at the far corner of the room where the liquid ninja and his mini stood plainly side by side, "this'll help our Seikatsu."

"Hokage sama, though it may further improve the child's situation-blah bla blaaah blab la blaaa"

Neji's voice was lost to Tsunade as she noticed the change in father and son. Where one stood proud and careless the other looked up in awe as if this man had shown him the very beginning of the world. Suigetsu wasn't afraid to pick him up when he asked either, the fact that Seikatsu asked in a short but full sentence shocked her. According to reports, Suigetsu _had_ been the most enthusiastic about the parental class. He made little changes though he irritated Sakura to no end.

"Hokage sama!" three voices called at one.

"What!" she yelled back at Neji, Naruto and Ino.

"We don't think he's good for Sakura!" Ino slammed her hands on the desk.

"We simply cannot trust an S class Criminal." Neji added.

"Yeah and Seikatsu will be lead down the wrong path!" Naruto informed with a firm nod.

"If you guys are done I'd like to start this process," Suigetsu voiced boredly.

"Yes," Tsunade stood out of her seat, "Now you three have been chosen to help Sakura…well this'll be the same process. Suigetsu will have a list of assignments and tests until all three of you deem him trust worthy and well trained; no and, if's, or buts."

"Basters baba?"

"That seems to be the case with these three." Suigetsu answered shamelessly in front of the group. They said nothing but they did glare at their newest underling. Suigetsu was going to put them to the test these next couple of weeks.

* * *

><p>Thanks all for reading! I know it's been a while, schools been hectic and life's been…not so easy, ya know? Any how I'm sorry it's not as long as the last but I plan to get the next one out sooner. Thanks for all your comments! You guys are AWEsome!<p>

Tell me what you think :3


	10. Fireworks

Hola all!

First I wanna say thank you for all 17 comments. I very much appreciate every single one! I'm gonna start doing shout outs now! Secondly, don't be intimidated by the length, there's just a lot more talking and less telling is , forgive me for any mistakes and please tell me about any improvements I could make alongside your favorite part so I can incorporate more of it.

Finally,

I do not own Naruto but I can dream

* * *

><p><strong>Fireworks<strong>

* * *

><p>"<em>Kill me<em>!" a helpless voice screamed at the top of its lungs through the darkness.

"Kiiiilllll Meeeeee!" another roar filled out the space.

Sakura jumped out of her bed and landed in a crouch. She slowly stood to recognize her surroundings only to find void, blackness and naught.

"_**Nooooo**_!"

Sakura swirled around to find a door where her bed was. A lone, metal, door and on the other side something was trying to get out. It was banging on the door, kicking it, throwing itself against it.

"Hu-hu-who's"

"HELP MEEE!" the voice screamed so loud Sakura brought her hands over her ears. The roar didn't stop, it kept growing and screaming. At wits end, Sakura reached for the metal nob and as soon as she grasped it, the screaming halted to whimper.

"Please…please help me…I've been here so long." It cried.

Sakura hopped away from the door immediately recognizing the voice.

"Who are you?" she asked anxiously.

"Please help me." The voice whimpered again.

Slowly Sakura reached for the knob for a second time and grasped it as gently as she could. Suddenly a wave of fear engulfed her. She couldn't move, wouldn't breathe as she felt someone's warm breath on the back of her neck.

"What are you doing Sakura?" the familiar monotone sent terrified chills down her spine and churned her stomach.

"Sas-Sasuke," she whispered, "I'm-I," she stuttered, never mind the tears that were threatening to fall, her worst fear was right behind her!

"Go ahead Sakura," his cold hand covered hers on the door knob, "open the door."

He turned the door knob and waited for her to pull.

"Sasuke…w-what" the kunoichi couldn't help but stutter.

"Open. The door." He spoke with an authoritive buff.

Out of pure shock and fear, she took one shallow breath and slowly pulled the door open.

…

There was nothing there as Sakura stared inside recognizing the table, the dampness, the filth on the walls, and even the door was starting to look more familiar, until with a sharp shove he pushed her in.

"No..." she fell forward onto her knees almost into the table but she stopped herself quick enough to see his evil smirk before the door slammed her face and knocked her back. Immediately the screaming, roaring, and pleading began.

….

She realized where it was coming from

….

Herself

"_**SASUKEEEE**_!"

* * *

><p>Screaming and tangled in her bed sheets, Sakura found herself on the floor like a panicking fish out of water. Her pulse was as high as the Hokage tower, her eyes were red and her head just <em>hurt<em>. She looked around the room; everything was still in its place except for some pillows here and there. Seikatsu's old crib by the window, the dresser in front of the bed against the wall, nightstands on either side of the bed; she had knocked over the lamp on one of the nightstands but it didn't bother her while the moonlight spilt in from the window.

"I-it was a nightmare?"

There was no one there to answer her but the light of the moon and her shaky breath. Finally she detangled herself from the sheets and stood to pick up her lamp and rest it back on the nightstand next to the bed. She threw all the pillows back on her bed and did the same for the sheets with a sigh.

"How long has it been God?" she asked the night sky at her window, "almost three years since they found me…and Seikatsu." She left her room for the child's only to find him gone but quickly remembered where he was with a sigh. She returned to her room and plopped on to her bed.

She remembered the day she brought the child home with her. It was nothing like the movies, the baby kept crying, breast feeding was painful, didn't get full night's sleep until another four months later and diapers were the worst. However much she hated it she wouldn't trade it for the world because while it was difficult she grew to love him.

With that said, she didn't know what to make of the dream; she thought she was doing a good job of working through it. She hadn't had one breakdown after that harsh but rejuvenating three days Tsunade forced her on. She was stronger now, she saw the bigger picture, and she felt ready to leave the past where it was.

_So why this now?_

_Is it Suigetsu? _

"I can't keep blaming this on him even with what he's done…I must forgive him sometime…I have to let this go for Seikatsu's sake." She spoke to the ceiling.

_Can't sleep._

She sat back up just staring into nothing for several minutes before she stood up, got dressed in loose fitting dark pjs. Then she opened her window welcoming the cool breeze that drifted in. The kunoichi looked down at the ground for a while thinking about the past before jumping down and landing bare foot on the dirt surface. She ran in no general direction or had no idea where she wanted to go but anywhere was better than home, she just wanted some fresh air. She ran down the road of lined apartment buildings, the dark ally of the closed shops, past the quiet landscape of the training grounds and continued from there until she heard someone behind her. She stopped in the middle of a clearing of trees.

"Who's there?" she asked firmly as the whispers of the trees clashing with the wind filled the silence.

"Good evening Haruno san." The protege landed in the clearing and rose to his feet along with the sound of the dancing leaves.

"Neji?" she turned to face him, "what are you doing out this late?"

"My reasoning comes second to _yours_…in sleepwear."

Her face tinted with pink as she remembered what she had decided to run out in, "And following me?" she glared trying to go along with it.

"Patrolling the area," he motioned to his uniform.

"Oh, well…I couldn't sleep." She crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one foot.

"So you come out in your nightclothes?" he raised a brown brow.

"Shut up Hyuuga I'm not finished!"

"If it's one of your tendencies then I will continue my shift." He began to turn no longer interested in her reasoning.

"I had a nightmare…of Sasuke."

…

Neji stood for a moment then looked back at the kunoichi as if she had said something ridiculous.

"He came back," she hugged herself as if it were cold, "and locked me in the same room I was held in." he could hear in her voice how haunted she felt.

"Haruno san…go home and sleep." He turned his back to her to miss the results of his harsh tone, "You'll be diminishing the fear with that action…the Uchiha traitor has not been detected anywhere around Konoha, so you are _fretting _over nothing."

He went on to continue his shift leaving Sakura alone to think. She looked up at the sky to the moon and stars and whispered to her God for comfort before running back to Konoha. She had done this before and in most occasions she ended up with her best friend. However she was feeling different this time so she took a different way. She passed by the playground Seikatsu liked to play at, passed tall buildings attached to shops below, and over the parenting school they had reported to so many times this month. Finally she came to a door that opened before she could knock.

"Need something Pin…ky?" he lifts an eyebrow at her apparel, "wait, what the hell? Is it my birthday already?'

"Move you pervert," she pushed him in along with herself and closed the door, "where's Seikatsu?" she was looking around his small living room.

"In his bed sleep," he locked the door.

"He's sleeping?" she looked uneasy.

"Yeah, hey Pinky what's"

"Nothing." She cut him off as she let out a relieved breath and sat on the couch.

"Sure…so are you going to do this often 'cause this is going to be an issue." He crossed his arms.

"…it's nothing…I just,"

"Did Pinky have a bad dream?" he teased not knowing that he had struck a chord.

"Shut up!" she yelled firmly earning Suigetsu's rare concern. He took a step toward her but she hopped to the other side of the couch as if fearful.

"Everything alright Lady?" she didn't answer as she stared into space, "Sakura?"

"I'm sorry." She said suddenly getting up, "I-I was just worried about Seikatsu is all…I woke up and he was gone." She laughed it off but Suigetsu knew there was something else there.

"You're sure?"

"Yeah!" she shouted with a smile.

"Positive?" he raised another brow.

"Yes what's so strange about checking on Seikatsu? I do it all the time."

"In your pjs?"

"You and the arrogant Hyuuga can shut it!" it slipped.

"Hyuuga?" he thought about where he had heard that name, "Ah, Neji Hyuuga yeah he's got some stick up his ass…wait why are you guys hanging out at this time and in your pjs no le-" he stopped mid-sentence as the widest most slyest grin spread across his face.

"It's not what you think I just ran into him is all." She crossed her arms and looked away.

"Riiiight and you just-uh happen to be in your pjs too yup this looks completely innocent." He supposed sarcastically.

"Whatever I'm not that kind of woman!" her face was growing pinker by the moment.

"I mean, there's nothing wrong with it, plenty of women need a little love every now and then." He continued to tease.

"Suigetsu you're such a prick!" she glared, "I'm going home sense nothing is out of the ordinary over here…you're still an ass."

"Tell the prick I said hi" he sneered before she left through the sliding glass door.

_The Hyuuga, hn_? _No wonder he's so against this citizenship thing_. He turned to check on Seikatsu.

* * *

><p>Next morning at the Hokage's office, three ANBU stood still in their report. Tsunade frowned deeply as she digested the news.<p>

"You're sure it's him?"

"Hai, the various burn marks on the body we found proves so. He is in Konoha along with two others. Also he refers to the recent prisoner we have." The cat mask bowed.

"Damn" she read the note over.

_You have something of mine, I ask you to release it to me before midnight tonight._

_Uchiha Sasuke_

"That little brat thinks he can just come in and demand anything he wants." She snarled, "Tighten security around the border and send for Neji Hyuuga at once!"

"Hai!"

* * *

><p>"Hokage sama." The stoic ninja bowed deeply until Tsunade spoke.<p>

"I have a mission for you in addition to Suigetsu and Seikatsu,"

"In addition?"

"As you are training Suigetsu and keeping watch over Seikatsu; stay as close to Sakura as she'll allow you."

"Allow me? Hokage sama what is the purpose of this particular mission?"

"Protect Sakura Haruno from Sasuke Uchiha."

"The Uchuha?"

_So that's why_

"Hyuuga pay attention."

"Hai!"

"Sasuke has requested we release Suigetsu from our hold. We don't know if he knows about Sakura and Seikatsu or if he is the one trying to kidnap the child but just in case, we want close watch over both of them. Do you understand Hyuuga? Sakura must not find out about this. Your main objective from here on is to protect Sakura and Seikatsu Haruno, put Suigetsu at a minimum I have Naruto watching out for him primarily."

"Hai Hokage sama," He bowed once more before leaving. As he walked out of the Hokage tower he thought about all of the variables

"_I wonder…did the Uchiha have something to do with Sakura san's dream_?" he shook his head, "_Why does this female attract so much attention_…_Keeping such close tabs on her will be tricky enough without raising her suspicions. It will be best to keep the Uchiha trader's intrusion away from her._"

* * *

><p>"Hey forehead chan."<p>

"Hm?"

"Isn't Seikatsu's birthday right around the corner?"

"A week away now." The mother stretched out on the blanket that was spread out on the green grass. She looked into the blue void above as she pondered the situation around her. A few friends had a free day to spend amongst one another and as always Sakura brought Seikatsu. However Suigetsu's presents was not only new but sensitive especially in Naruto's case.

"So what are we gonna do this year?" Ino inquired.

"I don't know, maybe we'll have a little party for him. I was thinking about inviting the kids from our parenting class. He gets along really well with most of them." She sat up and looked across the green open field to the individual trees spread across the way. She noticed a particular lone tree with Suigetsu and Seikatsu under it. She couldn't see what they were doing but they had seemed to be busy with something.

"How is Seikatsu with him?"

Sakura thought about it before smiling back at the blonde, "He sees that idiot as his hero. They do everything together including trouble."

"Oh"

"Don't worry I'm not sad about it…it's kind of a relief I don't have to worry about raising him alone anymore," she stood, "plus I can always blame it on him when Katsu does something wrong."

"Sakura chaaaaan!" Naruto called from a distance behind them, "we're gonna show Seikatsu some sparing techniques! Bring him over!"

"I told you I don't want him to-"

"Light'n up Pinky!" Suigetsu all but ran over to the sparing site.

With a sigh Sakura and Ino joined the crew while they sorted who was going to fight who. There was Hinata, Kiba, Sai, and Naruto at a picnic planned to 'welcome' Suigetsu into the group. However he distanced himself from all of them in favor of solitude.

"About time you made it over here." Kiba muttered towards Suigetsu who was carrying the tot on his shoulders again. Suigetsu said nothing he just stared at them all in anticipation.

"Suigetsu" Naruto spoke seriously as he stepped in front of him, "…I'm being honest when I say I didn't like you at first…you helped Sasuke avoid us…you hurt Sakura and kill for fun…but you've changed." The blonde grinned soberly offering a hand, "If I can forgive Sasuke three times…I can forgive you this once."

He didn't know if it showed on his face but Suigetsu was surprised. Never has he been invited or forgiven so simply excluding Sasuke who left him for dead this time around. He was puzzled when Sakura stepped up and took his hand to mold it around Naruto's into a hand shake which the jinchuuriki initiated slowly. It took a second but Suigetsu responded with a slow hand shake gradually grinning underneath.

"About time!" Kiba said again "sense we're being pals and all, can we have a friendly spar?" he dared the liquid ninja.

"Hm" he smirked as he set the child down ruffling his hair "make sure you're watching kid, you might learn something." Suigetsu stood to accept the challenge.

"Wait a minute!" it was Sakura.

"Oh come one Pinky can't I have a little fun?" he whined.

"A little fun? I couldn't care less about your fun as long as it's not in front of Seikatsu!"

"So says the woman of the night." He scoffed.

"Wait," Ino's hungry ears perked up, "what is he talking about?"

"Oh, she didn't tell you about-"

"Shut up! I told you I just ran into him is all!" the kunoichi was turning pink again.

"That's not all you did into him." He muttered back.

"WHAT" the whole group came together on this one.

"Sakura what is he talking about!" Naruto yelled within the circle.

"More importantly who!" Ino supported.

"Nobody! Guys calm down! How could you believe him over me and how does that make any sense?" she was flustered now.

"You're blushing." Kiba accused, "wow Sakura I wouldn't of thought."

"Thought what!" the mother was fuming now.

"WHO IS IT! INO MUST KNOW!"

"Yeah Sakura, who's the lucky guy! He's not right for you if you're ashamed of him!" Naruto cried comically.

"Aren't you gonna tell them Pinky? Should I?" Suigetsu's grin was growing.

"TELL US!" the three crowded around the liquid ninja pushing Sakura out of the circle. At this point the kunoichi gave up. She settled for a quiet conversation with Hinata who was entertaining Seikatsu as Sai sketched the landscape.

"What seems to be the problem Sakura chan why is everyone all worked up?" the heiress spoke softly rocking the child in arms.

"idiots." She grumbled.

"OH MY GOD! WITH NEJI!" they could here Ino scream.

"…WHAT?" Sakura turned a whole new shade of red as she found herself back with the group, "I DID NO SUCH THING!"

"I knew it!" Kiba laughed "that guy has been acting a little wired lately."

Nartuo could be found on the ground on his face both stunned and distraught. Slowly he stood and took both of Sakura's hands as he sniffled "Sakura chan…I will be happy for you."

"w-what?" Sakura couldn't believe it, "Naruto it's a misunder-"

"I apologize for being late." Neji approached them from behind.

"HYUUGA YOU GOTTA LOT OF 'SPLAININ TO DO!" Ino was in his face yelling accusations about Sakura and honor and dishonor.

Before he could respond or even make sense of the situation Naruto pushed her aside and took his hands with teary eyes "Congratulations man…I-I'm happy for you…" the blonde let his hands drop as if he couldn't take it anymore and walked away.

Neji raised an eyebrow to Kiba who gave him a manly pat on the shoulder "didn't know you had it in you Hyuuga…didn't even know you were straight." He laughed.

Finally he had had enough

…

"SILENCE!" the whole crowd stopped to look at Neji, "now…will someone tell me what happened?"

At this final question Suigetsu broke out into laughter he couldn't believe how hard these fools had fallen for his trick. Ultimately he was on the floor holding his stomach in painful amusement.

"I think what happened is," Sai came into view, "the S-class criminal claimed that you had [insert favorite insult here] Sakura san. This in turn caused the whole group to make other assumption…for example Ino thought you were taking advantage of her, Naruto thinks you're going to marry her and Kiba thinks you're attracted to females."

"…"

"I'm sorry Neji." Sakura apologized "I told that idiot that I ran into you last night and he took it for something else."

"…"

"Neji?"

"I heard you." He was just puzzled.

"So you really aren't dating then?" Suigetsu was looking up at them both now on his belly.

"I told you we weren't!"

"Of course not." Neji quietly agreed.

"Oh…Ok then." He stood and dusts himself off as if nothing ever happened.

"I hate you."

"Heart you too Pinky."

With this Sakura stormed off on her own leaving everyone in humiliation or utter awe. She was surrounded by busy shops and lunch café's when Neji had caught up to her.

"Following me again?"

"Hardly, I simply choose your company over … _theirs_."

"Tell me about it! I mean- you and me?" she shook her head; "you don't even like girls."

He stopped walking.

"Neji?" she looked back.

"What compels you to think such a thing…did you ever consider that I am more focused?"

"Right Hyuuga, call it what you want. It's not like you're defending yourself." She went to continue her walk.

"That's not an accurate theory."

"Neji, skeletons are best berried when you pull them out of the closet. Who could argue with that?"

"Haruno san I am not gay."

"Right."

* * *

><p>"What does she want this time?" Suigetsu whined on the way to the Hokage's office.<p>

"Lady Tsunade didn't say." Ino informed him as they reached the door.

"gah…this guy."

"Come in." Tsunade yelled from the other side.

"Yeah, yeah." He entered with his mini right behind him.

"Ino would you take Seikatsu for a moment?"

"Hai." She dipped to take the child and closed the door behind her.

"Let me guess, no making fun of Sakura"

"No…Suigetsu have you noticed anything strange these last few days?"

"No." he adjusted to her seriousness.

"Nothing at all?" she sat up in her chair.

"Nothing."

"I see." She sat silent for several seconds scrutinizing Suigetsu, "your citizenship is being put on hold," she held up a hand to stop his oncoming rant "it seems your team hasn't forgotten about you."

"What?" he said disbelievingly.

"Sasuke Uchiha has requested I deliver you by midnight tonight." she said calmly.

"That bastard! Now he comes to get me? Now after almost two flippin months?" he yelled.

"Some team right?"

…

"I'm not going…I'm not leaving with them." He slammed his hands on the desk and looked her in the eyes "now continue whatever little process I have to go through so I can kick his ass myself." He hissed.

She chuckled, "make sure you don't tell Sakura and don't mind the extra company around Seikatsu, they're there for a reason."

"Can I go now?"

"You may." She moved on to the many papers on her desk.

* * *

><p>For some reason Ino was nowhere to be found with his son when he left and was later informed that he had been taken back to his mother. So he went back to his own place to relax and reflect on the decision made or more on what his old team was doing here after so long. He unlocked his door and walked in tossing the keys on the couch until he heard an 'ow'.<p>

"What the hell are you doing here Karin?" he glared.

"Chill out prick I came to save you for Sasuke sama!" she stood from the couch.

"Sasuke sama huh? And exactly where is he?"

"On the edge of Konoha we had to split up and keep moving otherwise they'll find us now let's go I'm tired of being here!"

"How long have you been waiting?"

"Days! Now come on! What's wrong with you? I'd thought you'd be itching to get out of here by now!"

"Surprise [insert favorite insult here] I'm not leaving." He smiled as he fell back on his couch comfortably.

"W-what do you mean? What about_"

"I'm not so into the end of the world anymore it's a little too dramatic…not my taste. Besides the guy always took away my fun and claimed it for his own."

"Seriously Suigetsu what did they do to you?"

"Nothing."

_It's what I did to her._

"You're such an ass for betraying us like this!"

"…Get. Out." He scowled.

"Fine! Prick!" and with that she left out of the sliding glass door.

"So much for midnight."

* * *

><p>The rest of the day was a blur as the sun went half way down to mark late afternoon. Suigetsu was looking over books and scrolls about Konoha and its people on his red couch.<p>

"Knock knock puddle dude!" Came Naruto's voice on the other side of the door.

"This guy" Suigetsu smirked at the thought. He left the material on the table while he went to answer the door for the energetic ninja.

"Whoa, Sakura really fixed this place up," Naruto looked around.

"Yeah, it's alright." Suigetsu stepped aside to let him in deciding against his usual solitude.

_Gotta start somewhere if I'm going to live here._

Naruto stood in the middle of the room still impressed with the style and calm of the atmosphere. He finally looked back at Suigetsu with a smile.

"What?" the father raised a brow.

"You're really making yourself at home." Naruto gestured to the books on the table.

"Yeah well it's much more entertaining here than in the woods with chicken ass somewhere." He looked away "besides Seikatsu's gonna need someone to teach him how to be a man not a mama's boy."

"She does the best she can" Naruto took a seat at the island table, "but what I was here for was to see if you knew about the summer festival tonight."

"Is there sake?"

"Possibly."

"Baba!" a small thump came to the door "It Katsu baba!"

"You're famous today." Naruto grinned as Suigetsu opened the door to his son dressed in a navy blue yukata with his hair combed down neatly. He almost paused when he saw Sakura also in a yukata that was white with magenta lines and dots forming flowers and leaves all around it, she had her hair up in a bun with a few loose strands for originality.

"Sakura chan!" Naruto yelled from inside.

"Naruto? What are you doing here?"

"Just making sure puddle dude here knew about the summer festival. I see you're all ready."

"Yeah, um I was going to invite him along but if you're going to be drunkards together then never mind." She crossed her arms in a huff.

"Don't get offended Pinky come in," he groaned and closed the door after her.

"I have a plan!" Naruto started, "why don't you and Seikatsu go spend some time with the games and clowns and stuff and I'll make sure he makes it for the finale. Suigetsu?"

"Sounds fair."

"You don't have to come with us if you don't want to," Sakura murmured.

"Games baba!" Seikatsu looked up at his father with hopeful eyes.

"…Alright, games then." He ruffled the boy's hair.

"Stop messing with his hair!" Sakura yelled rushing with a brush from nowhere.

"Relax I think it looks better this way, right?"

"Wight!" the tot smiled.

"You guys." Sakura shook her head, "Well it won't be long, he hasn't had a nap all day and it's getting late. So the most we'll do is get dinner, play a few games and see how he feels after that. He normally never makes it to the fireworks."

"That works." Naruto chimed in "it's the after party you really wanna be at, when all the little kids are sleeping."

"Whatever," Sakura picked the tot up with effort, "you're getting heavier Seikatsu. Soon I won't be able to pick you up." She kissed his forehead.

"Let's get going then." Suigetsu ruffled the boy's head again.

"Nah uh, you're not hanging around me looking like that!"

"Whatever lady my apparel is fine!"

"For missions!"

"Every day with you is a mission!"

"Now, now kids," Naruto stood between them, "Sakura's right, you should dress for the occasion, we in Konoha are best at lookin' good."

"So we're going to get you some new clothes," it wasn't a question and she proved it by taking both water boy's by the hand dragging them along, "lock the door behind you Naruto."

The blonde could only grin as he saw the family leave quickly. He then frowned for the reason why he was so buddy- buddy with the liquid ninja all the sudden.

"_He didn't go when he had the chance…Maybe it'll be alright after all._"

* * *

><p>It wasn't hard finding a place for yukata's, all you had to do was follow the sound of firecrackers, drums, symbols and happy people. The liquid ninja was stunned at how crowded the streets were over a summer festival but he was still interested in all the neat things they had to offer. Sakura wasted no time in finding the proper stand for Suigetsu or the right yukata for that matter. She had found a white one with vertical blue lines. She didn't even ask if he liked it, she just pushed him behind the curtain provided.<p>

"Make sure you brush your hair too!"

"Bush hair baba!"

"Its fine the way it is!"

"Suigetsu-"

"You can change my clothes, take my sword but leave my hair alone!" he stepped out to a puzzled Sakura who had her brow raised over how sensitive he was about his hair. The child clapped to show his liking of the new outfit though.

"That's better." The mother finally smiled along with the child in arms. It wasn't anything special but he blended in better now, at least he got to keep his sandals.

"Whatever." He made a habit of saying that when he was embarrassed or annoyed Sakura noticed.

"Games now baba," Seikatsu's eyes widened in anticipation.

"Lady?"

"Yeah, this way." She turned to the crowd of people in the busy street.

On each side of the street there were trinkets and clothing being sold, snacks and sweets being eaten and in some areas they passed, dancing. But what caught his eye more than everything around him were the families enjoying the event together, friends drinking and having a good time, and mischievous children lighting firecrackers under long kimonos, everyone was with someone doing something regardless of whatever challenges life had for them the next day.

"Hm."

"What?" Sakura yelled over the noise.

"Nothing." He shouted back.

Finally they came to a clearing wear booths of many games were all set up. Seikatsu wiggled his way out of Sakura's arms and ran toward one of the booths to start.

"C'mon baba! Games!"

Suigetsu smiled at the little tot and thought about how much he's improved these past weeks. He still needed a little help with sentences but when he ran, the booger sprint. He had to do more than power walk to keep track of the child.

"Baba!" he whined now.

"Coming, coming" he walked to join him at the first booth.

"Be the first to get the rings around the bottles for a toy little one." It was a woman with a light red yukata on. She had long black hair and looked to be in her golden age.

"Baba" he looked up at his father with the cutest grin he could manage.

"That's him asking." Sakura came from behind him to his side, "I don't know where he gets it from but he thinks he's cute enough to get anything with that smile."

"Does he?"

"He does" she said passively with a straight face.

"Got it from me."

"Baba!" he was whining again.

"Ok, we'll give it a try." Suigetsu picked him up and the woman gave him the rings. He missed the first one, almost got the second, missed the third and was stopped at the fourth.

"Katsu take your time honey." Sakura took his hand and helped him toss it over the bottle in the middle, "yay Seikatsu did it!"

"I did it baba!" the child raised his hands in the air.

Suigetsu just smiled and gave a short nod of approval to his mini. The old woman gave the tot a black teddy bear as a prize.

"What do we say" Sakura sung.

"Dank you!"

"You're welcome dear, what a sweet boy you two have." She smiled at both parents.

"Thank you." Sakura blushed.

"hmp." Suigetsu settled for looking away but the woman could see the faint pink on his cheeks. As soon as Suigetsu put the tot down he sprint to the next game in which Sakura helped him each time until Suigetsu started to complain about handicapping him. Nonetheless, they all enjoyed, sweets, dinner, games and even a little dance. In the end Seikatsu was resting in his mother's arms despite the noise all around them.

"You're taking 'em home?" they walked side by side.

"Mm I was hoping he would make it to the fireworks this time…maybe next year I guess." Sakura sighed disappointedly.

"Did you want to see the fireworks Pinky." He was looking off to the side as if he didn't care.

"I can see them fine from the house." She smiled to herself.

"Well…I want to see them. Shame, some ambassador you are" he complained lightly.

"What-never mind." She concluded that he'd never seen fireworks before and maybe he really was a little bit curious, "I know a great place."

Later, on top a roof, right on the ledge, Sakura rocked Seikatsu left and right next to Suigetsu who watched the different colors explode in the sky. With his eyes wide and head looking straight up at the colorful sky, he seemed more fascinated than she'd ever seen him. Little did she know he was looking over everything, the people, the fireworks, the joy, it could all be his to experience here as well. No book or scroll could describe what a place Konoha really was, or rather the true experience it carried.

"I don't understand." He blurted out.

"Hm?"

"Why did Sasuke leave this…?"

Her heart sank at the mention, "…I don't understand either. Revenge just does that to people."

…

…

" I'm sorry."

"Wha?"

"For…annoying the _hell_ out of you." He chuckled and she smiled.

"It's alright; I wasn't exactly the welcome wagon anyway."

_Because of what I did to you, _he thought

But that apology was for another time. Instead he watched the fireworks silently with her discovering many more reasons why the ninjas fight like they do for Konoha.

* * *

><p>"I'll be by tomorrow. I want to show Seikatsu how to control his ninjustu." Suigetsu was waving goodbye. Sakura nodded in the distance and turned to go home.<p>

When he made it to his house closing the door behind him he froze when the lights came on.

"It's passed midnight Suigetsu."

"_And_"

"I arranged for you to be released…Karin came for you as well."

"First off, why the _hell_ would you send someone I _hate_ and second where do you get off leaving me for almost _two months_?" He crossed his arms, a habit learned from Sakura.

"You've gotten sensitive Suigetsu." The Uchiha was lounging on the couch coolly taking note of his old teammates clothing, "and comfortable…I'm confused it's almost as if this is your new home."

"Listen snake bastard the third," he took a deep breath, "I have more important things to do here, things that will support my cause."

"You really are leaving Taka…We'll see how long this lasts." Sasuke stood, "I'll be here for three days Suigetsu. After that you and I will be enemies."

"Sasuke we already are."

"Hmp," with that the Uchiha disappeared.

* * *

><p>Somewhat pissed off at his former best teammate, he quietly thought the situation through pulling all his contemplations together: the clothes, the apartment, they were material things Suigetsu wouldn't normally care about. So what else could be keeping him here? He knew Konoha had ample watch over him so it couldn't be the people, if anything he should hate them all the more for trapping him here like a prisoner…that was it.<p>

"They're not treating him like a prisoner, he's cooperating."

He stopped in front of what was Sakura's apartment building. She was one of the first people he watched when he first arrived. She seemed to be in better spirits compared to the last time he saw her.

"Hm."

He took a small leap into the air and appeared in a child's room. He saw it the last time he snuck in but it was empty then. Now there was breathing coming from the crib. A small peak and his eyes brows came up.

_Interesting_

* * *

><p>You could probably tell I ran out of juice here :P I hope you liked it anyway. Thanks all!<p>

Chaos~


	11. Too Close to the Past Pt I

****Hey All! Its been a while hasn't it? Thought I abandoned it like so many others do? Well I didn't, I just had to get through some life challenges. School sure takes your life away xD anyway, I'm sorry this took so long. Thank you for staying with me...There's a bit of twist here so bare with me folks!

I don't own Naruto...bet you could relate.

* * *

><p><strong>Too Close to the Past (pt. 1)<strong>

* * *

><p>While she loved her student dearly, Tsunade needed reassurance. She needed to know if her student could face her past, if she was strong enough to endure the future, if she grew enough to let it go. Was this the only way? No, but it was the harshest. Harshness, it seemed, was the only thing the girl would respond to. Harshness…but there was love behind it.<p>

"Hokage sama," a masked Anbu spoke gently, "I do not agree with this."

"You don't have to." She spoke looking up at Sakura's Apartment window from the outside.

_Sometimes you just have to work past the anger and the hurt that keeps trying to turn your heart bitter, with tears. Traditional, simple…just cry until you can't cry anymore and feel the sadness for what it really is. Whether it is loneliness or loneliness, you must face it head on and pray that your God will give you the strength to get through it all._

_Suddenly you can face these things, knowing you have someone backing you up. Suddenly you realize that this does not mean death but maybe war…whether it is with yourself or with the whole damn world. Step in with your chin up as you go into the light as you get up off your knees and walk through life. Rest, but never stop living Sakura. Always keep going. _

_Always keep going. _

To start, the young mother took a brave step into Seikatsu's room where the skilled hands she once trusted and dark eyes she knew waited to be approached. Everything was still as if in a picture frame from here: Seikatsu's toys scattered here and there, the old rocking chair in the corner next to the book shelf, the child's crib in sight as you walked in the room, and finally Sasuke standing before it.

Once upon a time, this would seem right but not anymore…this was not the father of her child…not even her friend. Slowly she walked into the middle of the room waiting to be recognized, ready to fight, to die, to do whatever she had to in order for her son to live.

"Sakura." His deep voice came out its usual monotone; she couldn't see the look on his face being that his back was to her…like always.

"Get. Out." She said sternly.

"What's his name?"

"I said _get out_." She whispered harshly.

He half way turned to look at her. She met his eyes with a dare that made Sasuke narrow his own. Slowly his hand went to rest on his sword as his body relaxed into a rather casual stance. Sakura on the other hand stayed tense and alert.

"You lived with it?" It was more a statement than a question that carried a surprised kind of tone.

"I don't want to talk to you."

"Why…did you," He turned around completely facing her with his back towards the sleeping tot.

"Get out Uchiha." She spoke up a little more.

"Did they make you keep him?" he spoke up pushing passed her initial aggravation.

"I wanted to keep him…none of this was his fault…now leave." She stepped out of the way to let him by.

After staring at her for several seconds, he finally strode past her, down the short hallway, into the living room and out the front door from which she heard the relieving click. The air was light again as she went to check on her tot. His sleeping form unharmed and at peace, she tucked him in and walked back to her room and collapsed in to tears on her bed silently reaching for a pillow to hug and to muffle her cry.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile outside of the apartment building were half of Anbu and the Hokage with a distant looking Uchiha.<p>

"Uchiha Sasuke."

…

"Nothing to say?" Tsunade's stare was as blank as a grey wall, "take him in then."

Two ninja came to each side of him as well as in front and behind him as the whole half of Anbu started to walk back to the Hokage's tower.

"Hyuuga, wait." She called as one cat mask looked from Sakura's apartment window to the Hokage, "stay here with her."

With a simple nod he started up the stairs before she said one last thing.

"I know you don't agree with what I did…you think we should have stopped him from getting to her at all…if she were a normal woman then I couldn't blame you for thinking as much. But Sakura is not a normal woman; she is a shinobi…carry on."

He didn't say anything as she walked away with the rest of the Anbu and their new prisoner. Not even taking off his mask, he walked up the stairs and stood before her door ready to knock when a thought came to his head. So he took off his mask and weapons and set them by the front door. Racing back down the stairs and making a jump that brought him to Sakura's window.

"Sakura."

Gasping, Sakura turned to find Neji at her window. A bit confused and hesitant, she wiped away what tears she cared for and stepped out of the bed to let him in. As he hopped down from the window into the house, Sakura stood back to see he was in his Anbu uniform but without his mask and weapons.

"Neji, what are you doing here," she asked with her puffy red eyes, "Were you here the whole time?"

"I was," he answered simply with his blank face.

"and you didn't think to do anything?" she raised her voice incredulously.

"I was ordered not to." He answered again with the simple answer but with a bit of a frown this time.

"You," she balled her fist and growled, "_you_."

"I apologize Sakura san," He frowned some more generally displeased.

"Oh really? And were you ordered to come check on me too? Make sure I'm alive?" she was raising her voice, tears streaming.

"You shouldn't speak so loudly," he glanced at her open door and looked back at her narrowing his eyes.

"Or what? It's not like you have a child to put back to sleep!"

"Sakura san" he took a step closer hardly reaching for her hand.

"What do you wa," Eyes wide Sakura was silenced by thin lips. His hands crept up to gently grasp her cheeks bringing her closer for a deeper kiss until he felt she had calmed down enough.

"Forgive me Sakura." He breathed as his forehead rests on hers while caressing her bottom lip with his thumb, "forgive me," he whispered.

"You just let him walk in." she cried softly, "you let him get so close."

"I didn't want to." He whispered back.

"Neji why, why did this have to happen to me?" she whimpered now into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her, his chin atop her head. For a while he just stood there holding her until she had no more tears to cry, it was all he could do for her now.

"You need to rest." Neji lifted her as if she was a bride and laid Sakura on her bed. Tucking her in, he noticed the far off look in her eyes, as if her very soul had left. With a frown he turned to leave the way he came,

"Neji"

…

"please…stay with me."

…

After a pause she felt the shifting of the bed and then strong arms wrap around her.

"Now rest." He whispered before her eyes fell shut.

* * *

><p>She had been sleeping for a few hours now so he thought it was okay to leave now that the main threat was taken care of. He gently withdrew his arms from around waist and crawled away from her body and out of the bed. Before leaving he tucked her in and gave her a final kiss on the forehead. He was passing Seikatsu's room when he noticed something odd.<p>

"Nebiii," Sung an enthusiastic toddler.

"Hm," the Hyuuga pondered looking at the child playing with his toys in his room, "who let you out of your crib?" Neji stepped into the room kneeling down towards the child. Seikatsu smiled bright as he offered one of his action figures to the ninja.

"You should be sleeping young Haruno." He said and rests his hand on the bloodlimit wielding baby.

"I haven't ever thought of breaking him from his feeding time." Sakura spoke, leaning on the door surprising him, "so now he wakes up at two in the morning, even if he doesn't get any water or milk."

"Sakura," he didn't turn to face her but rather looked at the child to see what he wished was her eyes. Instead he saw what he hated, the S class criminal who raped the kunoichi.

"You were leaving?" you could hear the inquiry in her tone.

He stood to both feet and half way turned to her, "yes, I'm to make my usual runs before sunrise."

"I see." She crossed her arms as if she were cold and looked around the child's room, "gotta keep people safe." She murmured.

He bowed slightly before passing her to get to the short hallway, across the dining and living area but as his hand was about to reach the nob.

"Neji," she called softly from her same spot in the child's doorway, "what was that?"

"…I don't have an answer Sakura." He didn't dare turn to face her.

"I see," she murmured, "well then…be safe out there." She turned to enter her own room.

"Sakura,"

"Leave Neji."

Seemingly cut deep by her dismissal, he grabbed the door knob, opened the door and for control purposes, closed it behind him, slowly. He didn't want things to go this way but it had and he was unprepared, again.

It all started, when his secret interest in her bloomed into a full on relationship years ago, he had been dating her and became so, so _infatuated_ with her in just a year. Then, when she disappeared for just about a year, the panic, the emotions, his heart would not rest. And again, when they found her _**pregnant**_, half crazy, half dead, it was the last straw. He simply couldn't handle loving someone. Though it was still there and very much alive, he couldn't get passed all of it: loving her, losing her, failing to protect her, and now accepting the past through her son. It was too much. He couldn't handle it but it didn't mean he couldn't be around when she needed him. It may complicate things but he would be there for her.

Not satisfied but less nervous about her being, he slipped on his Anbu mask to proceed with his regular hours of patrolling the area; mainly around _this_ area.

* * *

><p>Though Sakura appreciated the Hyuuga, she was still hung up on his want to be there for her but his reluctant to be <em>with<em> her. It was all very confusing, first he comforts her with love filled kisses and soothing whispers and hugs then sweeps her off of her feet and even stays half a night…_half_ the night!

**HALF**!

"_**Men**_." She glared at the dishes in the sink scrubbing them mercilessly.

"So Pinky, what'd the dishes do to you?" he asked curiously. He had been watching her go from sad to angry all day purposely not saying anything about it till now in the comforts of her home.

"_**Nothing**_ just a tough stain." She growled out, "no matter how hard I try to scrub this damn thing off it stays and sticks for no damned reason, it's just there."

He wondered over next to her and stared into the sink. All the dishes were as white as white could get, especially the deteriorating one in her hands, but he decided to play it her way, "Why don't you let it soak and come back when you think its soft enough to scrub off.

"I've tried that! The damned thing's stubborn!" He didn't know if she noticed but there was a hole in the said plate she had been scrubbing harshly for a minute now but he'd keep the peace.

"I would just throw it away since the stain won't come off," he turned to lean on the sink and cross his arms, "not that it bothers me that bad but if it did I'd throw that one away and possibly get a new one."

"Get a new one?" she turned to look at him, eye brow raised.

"Uh, yeah it's just a plate." He smiled knowing now it was not just a plate; it was uh something he didn't feel like imagining, "Here, I'll show you how it's done."

He took the plate with the hole scrubbed into it and threw it like a Frisbee out of the open window. The crash heard later went ignored as both adults stood in silence.

"Mama! Baba!" Came Seikatsu's voice down the hallway. He ran into the kitchen and hugged his father's legs, looking up with the most adorable looking grin only this one was different. This one was wider and sharper.

"Looks like your teeth are growing in." Suigetsu smiled down at him.

"That's not possible, he's already…oh." She noted the sharpness of his upper front teeth.

"cheeeeze!" Seikatsu opened his mouth wider for his mother to see.

"That's very good baby, you're growing up so fast!" she exclaimed then picked him up to rest on her hip, "you've gotten so much better, you might be going to preschool next year if Baba keeps this up."

Suigetsu looked at her surprised that she gave him some credit to Katsu's growth.

"Eh, it was easy." He looked away a little tint of pink showing across his face.

Both mother and child giggled as they smiled at each other until there was a random banging on the door,

"WHO'S THE **MORON** THROWIN' PLATES OUT THE DAMNED WINDOW!"

"uh oh," Seikatsu voiced for both parents as worry wrote on their faces.

"Lunch on me?" Sakura smiled tensely.

"Hells yes," Suigetsu said taking her hand running towards the nearest exit…

The window.

* * *

><p>It wasn't my best I agree, but the next will be better and sooner x3<p>

-Chaos


	12. And All the Circumstances

Hello everyone! Long time no write? Right? Hahaa, I know its been a long while and I did say I would finish this story...I am! Lots of things have happened like for one, my Nana passed away and though I was sad for a moment I'm glad the cancers not bothering her anymore. In light of that, I had my own little bundle of joy! A little soon in my case, I wanted to finish college first but nyeh gotta roll with it sometimes. Love her to death though. I'm convinced she's the cutest little girl EVER. Other than honing my new-found mommy powers and school and life in general. I'd say we're all good to finish this here fannyfic. Thanks for your patience and forgive me if this goes a little slow, I'm out of practice. Next chapter will be better!

* * *

><p><strong>And All the Circumstances<strong>

* * *

><p>"Run!" said Suigetsu speeding through the dusty and cramped web of alleys. They hopped over citizens and around garbage bags trying to get away from the victim of Sakura's stained plate. It just so happens that, that very same victim was also a shinobi.<p>

"I AM running!" shouted Sakura passing him with Seikatsu on her shoulders, "Throw the plate away, you said, get a new one" she mocked sarcastically, "that's the last time I listen to you!"

"Flyin' mama!" little Katsu shouted as his mother avoided another trashcan, the little one didn't realize they were attempting to escape.

"You went for it!" The liquid shinobi reminded her.

"I knoooow," Sakura whined begrudgingly at the fact. Suigetsu smirked in response to her reply as he passed her by.

"Babaaa!" shouted the tot as he watched his father speed pass them.

"All this over a man," she thought to herself as she watched Suigetsu's back," I swear you men are the bane of my existence." She groaned one more time before catching up to the water ninja. "Why don't we just stop and apologize?"

"Not my style."

"your style sucks!"

"No bad words mama!"

"That's right Mama, keep up!" Suigetsu jokingly agreed.

They cleared the web of alleys into a green mini forest just outside of the village. She had lost Suigetsu in all the trees and so she stopped in a clearing. She kneeled to let Seikatsu down. The little tot ran about the clearing dancing in the falling green leaves as if they were rain drops. She enjoyed watching him run, laugh and play. He was growing so fast it was almost frightening but she embraced it. With a smile she welcomed his maturity and leaned on the tree behind her as she crossed her arms.

"Suigetsu," she spoke into the air.

"Yeah?"

"What do you think he'll be when he grows up?"

"Who knows, could be a villain or a hero; maybe both."

"That's impossible."

"Don't be so close minded."

"...a shinobi?"

"It's very likely, he is the holder of a new blood limit an' all."

"Babaa, Babaaa where aw' yooou?" Katsu yelled in the middle of the clearing.

"No...he'll never be normal not as a citizen or a shinobi...Sakura,"

"why do things have to be this way?" she whispered this time not noticing she cut him off.

"I don't know."

"BAAA BAAAA!"

Suigetsu smiled at the sound of his new name. Sakura's heart warmed as his father poofed right in front of him ultimately surprising the little tot. She had to admit, there was nothing as beautiful as seeming the bond between the two. The way they smiled for each other, the way their eyes shined, how bright life seemed when they were together. It was nice to know that someone made her baby so happy.

"oh dear." she sighed a little jealous, "so when are we going back?"

"Nebeeerrrrr!" Seikatsu shouted and ran in the circle of the clearing. Both parents laughed at this.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, at the Hyuuga compound Neji was putting some serious thought into his actions as of late. Moreso his actions involving Sakura, his secret love. A secret. "a secret." he thought, "she isn't a side woman, I do care for her." his brows furrowed as he kept his balance on one hand, perfectly upside down on a stone in the compound garden. This particular section had stones embedded in the sand that mimicked the ripples of water and almost always went untouched.<p>

"Did I really have a choice? Who in this family would side with me?" He strained to keep his balance but with such thoughts, that proved to be difficult, "Though she is a strong medic under Lady Tsunade, the fact still remains that she is a never married mother which would be easier to get over if her circumstances weren't so severe." The protegé sighed, " a secret...and a problem."

_"...Sakura_."

* * *

><p>That evening, Sakura had decided to invite Suigetsu over for dinner since Seikatsu was so passionate about showing his father he could eat all his veggies. The family sat at the table, both parents looked at their child amused with how eager he was for brocoli. At the last swallow he had raised his hands and earned the applause of his parents.<p>

"Your churn baba." Katsu smiled expectantly.

"Uh...what?" Suigetsu stopped clapping.

"It's your turn Suigetsu," Sakura repeated for the toddler, "eat your veggies." she said as she gave a wicked smile.

"Eh," he froze for a second and did the only thing he knew to do to get him out of this one, "FOOD FIGHT!"

"EH!" Sakura questioned as a plate of food was sent flying towards her face. Luckily a shinobi such as herself could not only dodge it but reflect it right back at him. And so a fierce battle broke out between them. Brocolli was thrown like bladed stars while mash potatoes became the equivalent of kunai. Dodging a slice of meatloaf, Sakura back flipped into the kitchen and grabbed the pot of brocoli. She threw each piece at Suigetsu who dogded left, right, and dunked, some hitting and some missing until she decided to just throw the whole pot.

"Eat the damned brocoli!"

"Ninja's don't need brocoli!" he appeared at her side with the bowl of mash potatoes grabbing her hair in a fist before shoving the bowl of potatoes in her face rubbing it in vigorously.

The two made a show out their food fight but one could not tell if it was really for Seikatsu's enjoyment or if they were really fighting. Not long after they both called a truce and made nice as to teach their child a lesson on making up. Furthermore on cleaning up. After Seikatsu was put to bed and the war damage repaired, Sakura sat on the kitchen counter as she waited for Suigetsu to come out of Seikatsu's room.

"Well...this was one of my better days off." Sakura started, "thanks for coming it meant a lot to Katsu."

"Yeah, that little monster is something...say Sakura." he mumbled as he stood in the middle of the kitchen, hands in pockets and gaze spaced out on the floor.

"Is something wrong? You've been using my first name like crazy lately." she looked at him sideways like a curious cat.

"No...say... we didn't pick up a new plate." he looked up and smiled at her.

"Y-yeah," she laughed nervously, "about that plate. Its nothing serious. Never was. Just a plate."

"Suuuuure."

"it issssss"

"Anyone watching you wash dishes earlier could tell it was more than a stain on a plate."

"is it that obvious?"

"totally and utterly."

"Oh crap," she facepalmed, "some shinobi I am."

"Listen, I don't really need to know about the plate, why you didn't just throw it away or how it even got the stain in the first place...Just...nevermind." he turned around to head for the door.

"wait," she followed him but he froze at the door, " you seem so serious..its kinda scary."

"Is pinky really worried about me?" he turned around and feigned a blushing school girl, "I'm flattered."

"Oh, don't try to cover it up like that. You cover everything up with humor..in fact I don't know too much of anything about you." Sakura got to thinking and further implied, "and we're suppose to be working on getting along for the sake of little Katsu...it takes trust and how can I trust, how could YOU trust someone you barely know?"

"awww, so you want to get to know me?" he sang still using his humor to dodge this particular bullet.

"Suigetsu."

"I hear ya, I get it." he rolled his eyes, "Another time?"

"Acceptable." she smiled at him.

He nodded a goodnight before leaving through the front door. Once he was out of the building he stopped sighing as he looked up at the night sky. He then looked left and right before taking the first steps toward the small but trendy apartment that is his home.

"Home...This is my new home, I'm expected to live the rest of my life here...raise a child with someone who I could care less about years ago. But now, things are different because Suigetsu... you're totally falling for her." he confessed to himself, "with Sasuke's old team mate...the irony is killing me."

"Is that so!" Naruto all but shouted to all of Konoha.

"Aw crap." Suigetsu facepalmed, what are you stalking me?"

"Tsunade's orders." Naruto replied with a cheesy grin, " so you're in love with Sakura?"

"Don't say it so loud!"

Naruto laughed at him, "no worries bro, me too."

"...what?" he raised a white brow.

"Yup, so is Neji, don't tell anybody I said that. He still thinks it's a secret." Naruto whispered that last part. Suigetsu was surprised to say the least but more about Naruto knowing everyone's business than about Sakura's growing fan club.

"Yessiree, I did some digging after that one skuttle we had on the training grounds...turns out he's had a thing for her for a looong time...not to mention he talks in his sleep which really is a shame on missions." the blond said and finished with a goofy smile.

"So...you trust me with Sakura?"

"Of course not, why do you think I keep following you!"

"Tsunade's orders?"

"Oh...yeah..well that too!"

"Whatever, I'm going home." Suigetsu started walking away, "might as well walk with me since you've come out of creeper mode and all." Naruto walked beside him as if they were already best friends with his arms behind his head speaking casually, "Ya' know the way to a women's heart is through sake."

"Oh yeah? Who told you that?"

"Tsunade."

"figures."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in the shadows were a pair of eyes staring at Sakura's building. The figure noted the other ninja. Though out of sight he was there and watching the figure right back. They both knew judicial steps had to be taken before anything could be done so they just stood guard as long as it took to take action.<p> 


End file.
